Demon Child
by Dragon'sHost
Summary: NEW SUMMARY. A girl from the American Branch of SS comes to Japan to escape her peers. However, as she begins her new life Kasumi finds that the past is very hard to run away from, and that it's catching up too quickly. Nothing is as it seems. HisagixOC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, but I do own Datenshi Ekibyougami and Kasumi, so HA! Oh, and Arianri, too. I used the name from my World of Warcraft character…pathetic, I know.

I know I should be working on my other fic…but I can't help it! Please don't hurt me! I'm almost finished with the next chapter for that one! Though why I'm doing this when I could be updating on that one though is beyond even me. And I'm the authoress. Meh. I think I'm just lazy. Oh well. On to the story.

Note: this is set some years after Aizen and his goons are done with. I don't want to deal with the plotline of the manga, which is giving me some difficulty with my other fic.

* * *

Chapter 1

Even though some time had passed since Aizen's defeat, Yamamoto still did not know what to do about the situation regarding the Captain positions.

Sure, he could always just promote the former Lieutenants to full Captain Status, which he did do with Shyuuhei, but there were problems there too. Izuru Kira and Momo Hinamori were a little too unstable to be able to do the job properly.

Luckily, he had thought to put Ichigo Kurosaki in charge of 5th. Thankfully, Hinamori had transferred her loyalty onto him instead of dwelling on the past.

That left 3rd division the only one without a Captain. It was managing fine, for now. There was no telling how long that would last, though. Kira seemed to have increasingly frequent breakdowns every week.

Yamamoto rubbed his temples. When Ichigo came to Soul Society permanently, Rukia had come too. She was now Liuetenant of 13th division. One more problem solved. So now, he just needed a Captain, and maybe two Lieutenants, if Kira was no longer able. The 3rd seat of Ninth wasn't ready for the responsibilities of being promoted. No one in Ninth was, after Tousen.

He had to think of a solution! Some of the former Espada had survived that last battle. Soul Society had to be ready for an attack that may come in an instant, or not at all. It worried the old man to no end.

A knock on the door drew him out of his thoughts. A shinigami he didn't recognize bowed low upon entering.

"Captain-General Yamamoto sir! A messenger from the American branch is requesting to see you, sir!"

"Thank you. Send him on in then." When the man did not move, he added, "You are dismissed."

He bowed again, then quickly ushered the waiting shinigami in before leaving. The new one gave a small bow before looking the Captain-General straight in the eyes. Yamamoto smiled. He knew this child well, even if they had only met a couple of times in the past.

"Well, well! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company—Captain-General Arianri of America?" He could not stop himself from smiling at the silver haired woman with bright green eyes. He chuckled, still amazed that someone who only appeared to be in their twenties was over a thousand years old. He would never understand how she did it.

She gave a small laugh, but it sounded forced. There was definitely something troubling her. Otherwise, she would not have made the journey personally. She could have sent a subordinate; Yamamoto vaguely wondered how things were holding up in her absence.

"In answer to your unspoken question, old friend, nothing serious is happening to us right now. My Captains can handle things for a couple of weeks without me," she spoke in perfect Japanese. At his confused expression, for she no longer had her curious accent, she tapped her head. "New device my research guys came up with. Implant this little chip in the brain—delicately, of course—and you can understand virtually any language, humans ones at least." Before he could protest on the inhumanness of this, she stopped him by holding up a hand. "Now, for America, this was necessary. We get people in with all sorts of different customs and dialects. We wouldn't be able to work as an effective team if we couldn't understand each other!

"Now, let us skip the pleasantries. There are a couple of reasons I'm here. I heard about your plight—don't ask how, I just know—so I may have a solution."

Yamamoto was interested. "Go on…"

Arianri cleared her throat nervously. "I brought along a girl I took in a year or so ago. She flew right through the courses at the academy, but that could be to her unique predicament. You see, I adopted her to protect her from everyone else. However, they still hate and fear her. It may be better here—where no one knows who, or rather, _what_ she is."

The old man furrowed his brow. "It sounds more like you're dumping your problem onto me."

She looked affronted by this. "Of course not! I don't think I can keep her alive anymore! She has had ten attempts on her life in the past month! And she spent most of that holed up with me, coming here!"

Arianri took a deep breath to calm down. "She is definitely Lieutenant Material, if not Captain already! She may not have a Bankai, but she won't need it. She…had some special training immediately after death, before she came to Soul Society."

"What kind, exactly?"

"Maybe I should just start from the beginning. Let me bring her in, though. Kasumi! Come here please!"

A blonde head poked itself through the door. Yamamoto could clearly see her liquid silver eyes. As well as the twin scars that went from her hairline and continued through her eyes to her jaw line. (Imagine Ulquiorra's tear marks, only as scars that go all the way up to her hair.) For some reason, the scars had turned a nasty black colour. "Yes, ma'am?" she asked quietly.

Arianri patted the seat next to her, and Kasumi took the hint. She jogged over, her ponytail streaming out behind her. "Undo your hair girl! You look so much prettier with it down!" She frowned, but did what her adopted mother asked.

Yamamoto could see why she had it up; it wasn't practical to wear her hair down as it would get in the way during a fight. It was wavy in the extreme. However, it really did make her more beautiful, rather than ordinary when it was put up. A deep gold in colour, it was stunning.

"Do you want to tell him?" Kasumi shook her head no. "All right then, I will. Feel free to say something if I get it incorrectly."

The female Captain-General looked over to Yamamoto. "Some of what you may hear will be hard to believe, and I do not want it repeated outside of this room. Ever. Do you understand?" He nodded gravely. "Good. My part began when I went to the living world to do a Soul Burial. I like to do that every once in a while, to get reacquainted. Then, I found her, as a regular human soul, wandering around. She did have more reiatsu than most, potentially Captain level.

"I approached calmly, and explained what I was, what Soul Society was—the basics. She looked at me with the saddest face in the world, and said, 'That sounds like heaven. That's not where I'm going.'"

Arianri's face fell here. "She was right. I preformed the Soul Burial, and the Gates of Hell formed. I was so sad. They took her, then closed and dissolved. I turned to leave, when all of a sudden they formed again behind me! I was surprised. They opened, and she was tossed out. With a zanpakuto at her side, no less. She was out cold. A voice came and said, 'Her crimes were minor compared to what good she can still do. We have trained her a bit. She is special. We don't need her here. She scares us.' Then the gates closed and vanished. As soon as they did, she woke up. I took her with me, and that's the end, really."

Yamamoto stared at her for a second. "Where did you get those scars?" he asked, sighing.

"…In Hell…"

"She doesn't talk about what happened in there—what she saw and experienced."

"Understandable. 'Kasumi' isn't your real name, am I right?"

"No. I gave up the one I had when I was alive. It may have only a couple of minutes to you guys, but I was in there for _years_. That's how time flows in that place." She shrugged. "My full assumed name is Kasumi Chimamire. Bloody, or Bloodstained, Mist. I did not name myself, in case you were wondering."

While she was talking, she had risen her gaze up to meet the old man's. They had hardened to the point where they looked like steel blades.

"May I have a demonstration of your zanpakuto?" Yamamoto was truly curious to see what she was capable of. Not for long.

"Unless you wish to die, no. I got her in _Hell_, she is rather bloodthirsty. Any wound she delivers will not heal, and I am still learning to rein her in. Scratch the wanting blood part, she desires death more. Give me a Hollow, and I will gladly show you what she and I are capable of." There was a deadly tone in her voice. It was no wonder the shinigami from her country wanted her gone.

"Could you please go back outside while I discuss this with your superior and adoptive mother?"

She shook her head and left, sitting on a bench outside. She folded her hands in her lap, and stared off into the distance. Kasumi could hear muffled talking on the other side of the door. She wasn't really all that bad of a person; she just didn't like to talk about when she was alive or about Hell. She hoped that was what Arianri was telling about her.

Eventually, the two Captain-Generals walked out. Kasumi stood up at their presence.

"Very well, then. I'll trust you Arianri. Girl, take your belongings and this paper to my secretary. He will give you your apartment assignment. You are to report to Captain Shyuuhei Hisagi of 9th Division at noon, tomorrow. I'll let him decide if you are worthy enough to be a Liuetenant. They need someone strong over there, right now." With that, he gave a large huff and walked away. He did wave goodbye to the women, though. He did have some manners.

Arianri giggled to herself. "Here, honey. I'll come with you. Once you are settled in I have to go back home. Now, I heard from the old man that this Shyuuhei guy has some scars over his right eye! So you won't be the only one! Oh, oh—we have to introduce you to the Women's Association here. I heard its fun!"

"Mother, just where do you get your information?" Kasumi asked tiredly, giving into the demands without a fight. What a 'Demon Child' _she_ was (she personally hated the nickname the others had given her), feeling too lazy to argue right now.

"I have my ways!"

"_Right_. Sure, whatever."

Kasumi picked up her duffle bag which held her meager belongings.

You ready to go? she asked her zanpakuto.

She could practically feel the sword smiling. Of course, I have no choice in the matter, right? Datenshi Ekibyougami told her.

Nope. With that, she followed her mother on an impromptu tour of the Japanese branch of Soul Society.

* * *

And there you have it, the first chapter. I promise to update later on both. Right now, it's 4'oclock in the morning. I'm going to bed. I'll explain the zanpakuto's name later. Please review. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, new chapters would come out only once in a blue moon as I would be too busy sleeping to get anything done.

I broke my old sleeping record! Yay! My new record is sleeping for 20 hours straight. Thus part of the reason for not updating sooner…

Thanks for reviewing Inoujoey20!

* * *

Chapter 2

"Mom. We're lost, admit it." The two had been searching for the secretary for about a half-an-hour now.

"This place just has a different layout from home, that's all! We'll find it soon!" Arianri chirped happily. Kasumi heaved a sigh; they would be lost for the rest of the day. Her adoptive mother was not one to ask for directions.

They had walked onto the grounds of the Academy, and were receiving a lot of stares. Even more so than before, as her mother decided to start skipping and was singing in English. It also didn't help that there wasn't a specific uniform for the American branch; they were wearing civilian clothes. They only uniform similarities were the Liuetenant badge and the Captain haori—which her mother conveniently forgot at home. Thus why the person who admitted them when they got to 1st division—after having been lost again—thought that they were persons of no rank.

Kasumi looked around for someone to ask for directions. She saw a bunch of students parting the way for someone in a white haori. _He should know where to go_, she thought while grabbing her mother's arm and dragging her over there.

When she got closer, she noticed that he had a tattoo of the number 69 underneath his left eye. As well as the three vertical scars that went through his right.

Hisagi had noticed the two Americans almost immediately upon his arrival onto the Academy grounds. He was supposed to be looking over the students for any promising candidates for his division. However, the two strangers caught his attention. When he saw the shorter see him, he almost laughed at the spectacle when she dragged the other over to him.

"Excuse me? I was recently transferred here from the American branch. Could you tell me where the Captain General's secretary is and how to get there?" She was very businesslike in her speech; her companion not so much from the way she was babbling in what he realized must be English.

He nodded. "Of course. May I ask what your name is?" The Captain of 9th turned, leading the way back over to 1st division.

"Kasumi. This idiot over here is my mother, supposedly." Said woman was still being dragged, but by the back of her shirt instead of her arm, now.

"I'm Shyuuhei Hisagi, Captain of 9th division. Do you know which division you are being transferred to? By the way, you speak Japanese very well. Does she too?" he pointed at Arianri.

"She does when she feels like it. In answer to your first question, yours apparently. At least, that's what the Captain General said when we met with him. Would you believe that she's a Captain?" she asked, indicating her adoptive parent.

"That's scary. Is she always like this?"

"Yes, unfortunately. She does have her serious moments, though—they're just rare enough to forget about her having them in the first place, most of the time."

Shyuuhei smiled and considered himself lucky to have now acquired such an interesting person as Kasumi for a subordinate. Those scars on her face certainly had a story behind them, one that he wished to hear sometime in the future. "We have a couple of Captains here like that. Eighth most notably."

Her eyes widened and a scared look came onto her face. "Good thing I didn't get into that one, then." She shuddered, sending her thanks to God that she didn't have to deal with another person like Arianri every day for the rest of her life. Or rather, death.

Her new Captain laughed; it was something he hadn't really done since Tousen's betrayal. "So, what are you proficient in, then?"

Kasumi thought about it for a moment. "Well, I think I'm okay at all four arts. If pressured, I'd have to say that, while I'm better at swordsmanship, I prefer hand-to-hand combat due to the nature of my zanpakuto. I like kido, and am proficient in both that and shunpo."

He nodded, satisfied with the honest, and useful, answer. A well-rounded person was hard to find these days. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why are you being transferred here?" He noticed her cringe at the question. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to," he said kindly.

By now, the main building of 1st had come into view—this small interview would have to come to a close soon. After a pause, she told him most of the truth. "My peers seemed to think that I was being favorably treated, due to my mother's influence. They were also scared of my zanpakuto." She left out the part about them being terrified of _her_ more than her sword. "I don't blame them, not really. Datenshi scares me sometimes as well."

They walked on in silence for a time. Shyuuhei wasn't stupid; he knew that there was more to the story. She didn't seem inclined to say anything else, however. Soon—too soon, in Hisagi's opinion—they had arrived at the secretary's office.

"Here we are," he said. "Have him give you directions and a map to your apartment." He hesitated for a moment, "Also, ask him for directions to 11th Division. Go there first and look for a small, pink haired girl. She's the Liuetenant of that squad and the head of the Shinigami Women's Association here as well."

Kasumi gave him an incredulous look. "If you don't see them my drinking buddy, Rangiku, will have my head. She is the Liuetenant of Tenth," he apologized. "I don't want the Women's Association to force me into another one of Yachiru's tea parties." He shuddered, recalling the last one—before he had become a Captain.

She raised an eyebrow. "They can force a Captain into doing those sorts of things?"

"The Captain of 2nd, Soi Fon, is a member. They can do basically anything they want to."

"Oh." They stood there alone for a minute—Arianri having gone off to chat with the secretary, an old friend of hers. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow for our official meeting then. Goodbye," she said.

He nodded. "See you later." They parted ways.

* * *

It had been quite a walk, but Arianri and Kasumi had finally arrived at the 11th division.

"Ya know, he could have warned us," Kasumi remarked, watching one of the 'renovations' that this squad was somewhat famous for.

A bald man noticed them and walked over. "Is there anything I can do for you ladies? My name is Ikkaku, and I'm the 3rd seat here."

Kasumi bowed, slightly. "Yes, thank you. I was recently transferred from the American branch, and my new Captain told me to make myself known to the Liuetenant here. He said that she is also the president of the Women's Association and that I should talk to them."

"Yachiru is over at 13th, begging candy off of Captain Ukitake. Here, I'll take you over there. By the way, who's she?" He was pointing to Arianri, who looked like she wanted to join in on the 'redecorating'.

"She's my mother," Kasumi admitted, slightly embarrassed about the way Arianri was looking starry eyed over the destruction.

The American Captain General said something to her daughter in English, to which she nodded. "Ikkaku, she wants to know if she can join in. Oh, and thank you for taking me to 13th."

The bald man looked surprised that Arianri, who did actually look like someone who wouldn't like this sort of thing, wanted to 'play' with the 11th division. "Sure, no problem. She can fight, if she wants to."

Arianri whooped with joy, and then ran off to challenge someone who looked strong. She found the Captain to 'play' with. Ikkaku was stupefied as he watched the two having fun. He looked askance at Kasumi, who looked exhausted.

"Back home, she is a Captain as well," she explained. At least her mother was talking in Japanese again. "You ready to go?"

"Sure." They started walking. "Are you two actually related? 'Cause you don't look it. Different personalities too."

Kasumi brightened up considerably. "No. After I died, she took a shine to me and I was adopted." She was happy that they didn't seem related.

A large building appeared. "Uh…let's run," Ikkaku said, starting to do so.

"Why?" Kasumi was keeping up with him easily.

"Twelfth division. The Captain scares me," he admitted, running faster. "Head of Research and Development."

"Oh," she ran faster, too.

They sprinted all the way to the thirteenth division.

* * *

After they arrived, they slowed down to a walking pace. Neither were breathing heavily, despite the fact that 13th was at least 4 miles from 11th.

"Wow," Kasumi remarked. "The Japanese branch is smaller than the American. Think it has anything to do with population?"

Ikkaku thought about it for a moment. "You may be right. America has more people, but more space as well. How crowded is it over there?"

"Not nearly as bad as here."

"Huh. Strange."

"You may be right."

Both were extremely thoughtful over their new discovery. They soon saw the main office where Captain Ukitake was supposed to be, if his sickness wasn't giving him too much trouble. They peeked in, but he wasn't there. Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki was, however.

"Oh, Ikkaku. What brings you all the way here? And who's your girlfriend?" Rukia asked, looking up from her paperwork.

"She's not my girlfriend, and she's looking for Yachiru. She just transferred here from the American branch. Her Captain said to talk to the Women's Association before she did anything else."

"He directed me to 11th division, but she isn't there. Ikkaku said she was here."

"Oh?" Rukia raised an eyebrow. "On a first name basis, are we?" Kasumi gave her a confused look, and Rukia mentally slapped herself. "Oh, right! That's how things are in America, huh?"

Poor Kasumi nodded, still not understanding. "Unless you're in the military, or wish to be extremely formal, then yes. Almost everyone calls each other on a first name basis."

"I'm Lieutenant Kuchiki, but call me Rukia. What's your name?"

"Kasumi Chimamire. Please just call me Kasumi. Are you in the Shinigami Women's Association?" she asked.

Rukia nodded. "Hold on for a minute, and I'll go and get the both of them." She got up and walked out. After a little while, she returned with several people in tow, not just the ones she left to get in the first place.

She introduced them as they came in. The two who argued a lot were apparently the third seats of 13th, and had been taking care of their Captain—in other words, making sure Yachiru didn't exhaust him to the point of collapsing.

The next one to come in was the bubbly little Lieutenant that Kasumi had been looking for originally. They immediately took a liking to each other, which surprised everyone else. While the others watched incredulously, a tea party was planned for sometime the next week. SCAAAAARRY.

A man with white-silver hair was introduced as Captain Ukitake. Kasumi decided that he was alright and that this was someone she could put all of her trust in. She narrowed her eyes once she got a close look at him. He didn't seem as healthy as he should be, even though to a normal person he would appear to be fine.

A man with a pink haori came flouncing into the room, followed shortly by a woman with a stern look on her face. Before Rukia could say who he was, he noticed Kasumi and pounced on the opportunity that had presented itself so neatly in front of him.

"Why, it must be little Kasumi! I've heard so much about you from your mother! I am Kyouraku Shunsui, Captain of Eighth Division. My sullen female friend here is my lovely Nanao! See? Isn't she grumpy?" This statement earned him a whack on the head with a book from the woman.

Kasumi twitched at the mention of Arianri, which didn't go unnoticed. "I see. And would you happen to know where my mother is, Captain?" Her left eye had developed a small tic while she was talking. "And, _would you care to inform me as to what she told you_," she growled out this last part. It wasn't a question; it bordered more on an order.

He didn't have to answer, as Arianri chose that moment to come in. "Hello everybody! Whatcha—" she stopped when she felt the murderous vibes emanating from the blond girl. "Uh, I'll just be leaving now…"

"OH NO YOU DON'T!! GET BACK HERE NOW, WOMAN! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SAYING BEHIND MY BACK?!"

* * *

And I leave you here to imagine the things that Kasumi will do to her mother. See you later! 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: (glares) I'm sleepy. Do I really have to say this? Whatever. Bleach does not belong to me.

I apologize for the extremely late update. My laptop, with the incomplete version of this chapter, decided to crash and erase my hard work. I just got it back. Oh, and school started. I no longer have a cast, but I'm stuck in an ankle brace for six weeks. This sucks. But at least I can walk now.

* * *

After about an hour of socializing, Arianri and Kasumi had to say their farewells to everyone. Arianri was walking with a limp and had her left arm in a makeshift sling.

When they reached Kasumi's new apartment, they were pleasantly surprised by it. It had 5 rooms: a kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms, and a living room.

"Whoa… Yamamoto must like you a lot, mom." There was even some basic furniture, which included a couch, two futons, and a dresser.

"No, I think it has more to do with a status thing." Checking out the kitchen, they found an empty refrigerator. There were pots and pans in the cupboards, however.

"I'll have to go grocery shopping if we want to eat something tonight." Kasumi had not been impressed with the cafeteria food at the American Branch, and had given herself a crash course in cooking. This had resulted in fires at first, but she was a half-way decent cook by this point. She wouldn't starve to death.

"I'm going to go take a nap, then," Arianri announced, fleeing to one of the bedrooms before Kasumi could force her to come along.

She was prepared to do just that when there was a knock on her door. Rolling her eyes, Kasumi went to answer it.

"Howdy, new neighbor!" chirped the stranger. "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto! I live two doors down!"

Kasumi stared blankly at her for a moment, before remembering her manners. "I'm Kasumi Chimamire. The injured person is my mother." She indicated Arianri, who had poked her head out of the bedroom to see what was going on. She waved, then went back to catch a little sleep before her departure later that evening.

"Would you like come in?"

Matsumoto accepted the invitation and plopped down on the couch. Kasumi sat down beside her. "So, Kasumi, what Division are you in?"

"Ninth," she replied. Her neighbor's eyes grew wide, and then she started laughing extremely hard. "What's so funny?" Kasumi asked after a couple of minutes, confused as to Matsumoto's reaction.

Rangiku patted her on the back, tears streaming from her eyes in a comical fashion. "It's just ironic, I guess. I mean, with your scars and with Shyuuhei's—it's just funny!"

Kasumi smiled tentatively. "His scars are rather unique, I guess."

"You've met your new Captain?" Kasumi nodded. "Well, did he say anything about me?"

Kasumi frowned, thinking. Then she brightened. "Yes, he did mention you." Matsumoto leaned forward expectantly. "He said that I should make myself known to the Shinigami Women's Society, or else you would pound his head in."

This, of course, sent the 10th Division's Lieutenant into another fit of giggles. "He really said that?"

"Yes."

After she had stopped laughing, Matsumoto looked at Kasumi with renewed interest. "You don't look Japanese, where are you from?"

"I just transferred from the American Branch. I don't have the proper uniform yet, though, come to think of it." Kasumi stood up and rummaged through her duffel bag, bringing out a pen and pad of paper. She started scribbling things down. "In fact, I need to go shopping for a few things."

If Matsumoto had been a dog, her ears would be perked up and her tail would be wagging. As it was, she was nearly bouncing up and down with excitement. "Can I come?! Can I come?!"

Kasumi's eyes widened, a slightly scared expression on her face. She was getting a very bad feeling about this…

She sighed, giving in for now. "Sure, I don't know where anything is, anyway."

Matsumoto squealed and gave Kasumi one of her 'Hugs of Death'.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ she vaguely wondered as she tried to breathe, Matsumoto's cleavage making it a difficult task.

* * *

"Matsumoto, you do realize that clothes—other than my uniform—were not on my list of things I need right now?"

"Call me Rangiku! And, in answer to your question—so what?"

Kasumi sighed and let herself be dragged through the store. "At least tell me why we're in the formal section?"

"You didn't know? I guess not. There is a formal event for all shinigami coming up in a month. Oh, and I know some guys that might be interested in you! I'll have to introduce you!"

"No thanks, I'd rather meet a guy on my own. The last time my friends tried to hook me up with someone, it was a little disastrous." She shuddered at the embarrassing memory. "Besides, if I don't have a date, I can escape that much faster."

"Not one for parties, huh? Well, we'll just have to change that!" Rangiku got a determined gleam in her eye that sort of scared Kasumi.

"They—my friends from when I was alive—said that too. Then I pulled a disappearing act and vanished for a week."

"That's a little over the top."

"It was rather hilarious, though. They even sent out a search party to find me." Matsumoto couldn't think of anything to say to this. Then, as she spied some nice dresses, she abruptly changed the subject.

"Try this, and this, and this! OH!!!! These too!!" She shoved at least ten different garments at Kasumi, guessing as to her size. Bewildered, the girl didn't protest as she was led to the fitting rooms and forced to try everything on.

She ended up buying a silver dress that hung from her neck and had an intricate string pattern in the lower back portion. It reached all the way to her ankles and it was simple in design. No unnecessary frills. Kasumi secretly liked it a lot—not that she would admit it anyone.

"I can't believe you wouldn't let me see it on you!" Matsumoto complained loudly as they headed towards a department store.

Kasumi smiled. "Actually, there is something on my back that is rather embarrassing. I'd prefer to keep it to myself, at least until the party."

"Seriously? What is it? Another scar?" Matsumoto was looking at her curiously.

She shook her head. "Well, it's really a tattoo." She glanced away, chagrined. She quickly looked at the shopping list so that she wouldn't have to discuss that topic anymore. "I need plates, silverware, glasses, and bowls. Not to mention food." She glanced at her new neighbor. "Oh, would you like to eat with us tonight?"

Exited over the prospect of a free meal, Matsumoto quickly agreed. As they bought the silverware though, she realized that she had never used a fork before, and mentioned this to Kasumi.

"Don't worry, it isn't that difficult. I'll teach you." Matsumoto watched with trepidation at what Kasumi was buying, wondering what could possibly be made from some of the things that were being loaded into the cart. What on earth could all that cheese be for?

"I need a set of knives…" Kasumi mumbled, pushing the cart towards that section. "Cutting boards too…"

* * *

Kasumi was positive that they had defied the laws of physics when they were able to carry everything back to her apartment. Matsumoto helped her put everything away, leaving out the things that Kasumi said she needed for dinner.

"What are you making?"

Kasumi looked up from slicing cheese. "An American dish, so be patient."

Once the thing—whatever it was—began to cook, Matsumoto was able to smell it all the way from the living room. Arianri decided to wake up right about then, as well. She looked half dead, with her hair messed up and dark circles under her eyes.

Matsumoto started getting antsy. "How much longer till it's done, Kasumi?"

The girl checked the timer. "Another ten minutes. Guess I'll make the salad now." She went to the refrigerator where she pulled out a prepackaged bag of salad that came with dressing and croutons. "We can eat this while we wait for it to cool down." Recognizing Arianri's questioning look through the sleepiness, she replied, "It's Caesar—and yes, it comes with its own parmesan cheese."

Satisfied, Arianri returned to staring blankly at nothing in particular until Kasumi handed her a bowl of salad and a fork. She woke up after that, digging in gratefully, ignoring the world.

After they were done with the greens, Matsumoto now had a basic grasp of what to do with a fork. Kasumi grabbed some plates from the cupboard and dished up the cheesy concoction that she had created previously.

Matsumoto carefully tried the food. Her eyes lit up. "This is great!" She started eating with great vigor.

"Glad you like it. It's macaroni, in case you were wondering. This homemade recipe is one hell of a lot better than that crap they put in boxes, believe me. Try it with ketchup."

* * *

It had taken awhile to get Matsumoto to leave the apartment after dinner. She would be back for breakfast and dinner the next day, she vowed. Kasumi got the distinct feeling that she was going to have to up her food budget and cut back on some fun things.

She wondered if Matsumoto would be willing to share some of the food costs, seeing as how Kasumi wouldn't dine alone ever again. At least, if her busty neighbor had anything to say about it.

Arianri left too, saying her goodbyes to her daughter. She had a ship to catch back in the living world. For some reason, she didn't like flying. ("If we were meant to fly, we'd have wings!" she had complained once.)

Kasumi got ready for bed, taking her shower now instead of in the morning when she would be pressed for time. Setting her alarm, she got the feeling that tomorrow would be a good day.

Oh, she thought it would rain, too.

* * *

College started today too!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Updates will probably be few and far between, sorry guys. Feedback would be appreciated. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Come to think of it, since I am still a minor, I don't really own anything…

Feh. I wrote this chapter quite awhile ago, and have been too lazy to post. I am not sorry in the least. Pbbbbbtttt!!!!

That, and college keeps interfering. And the accursed WRITER'S BLOCK!!!!

I eat reviews. Please feed me.

* * *

Chapter 4

_White walls towered out of sight. Black splashes of old and dried blood stained them, mixing with dark red splotches of the newer. Pale bits of flesh were frozen in the mess._

_And insane screaming filled the otherwise empty place._

_**"LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!"**_

* * *

Kasumi awoke in a cold sweat as her alarm rang. She hit the thing with more force than necessary to turn it off. She stared straight ahead, not bothering to remove her hand from the annoying clock. Her scalp prickled at the base. She shivered, the goose flesh spreading to her arms. 

_[Bad dream?_ Datenshi asked.

_'No. Bad memory.'_

_[Ah._ The sword didn't say anything else, and it didn't seem like she was going to.

Kasumi untangled herself from her blankets that her thrashing had messed up. She saw her pillow on the other side of the room, and wondered how it got all the way over there.

_'I don't normally move around this much at night.'_

_[I know! You sleep like the dead! __This is appropriate, considering you are._

Kasumi shot her zanpakuto a glare and threw a stuffed dragon plushy at her. The sword, which had been leaned against the wall, gave a huff and went quiet. Not deferential quiet. Sulky quiet. Kasumi knew Datenshi well enough to tell the difference easily.

Feeling slightly grateful to the pouting piece of steel for improving her mood, she dug through her duffel bag for a cleaning cloth (she _still _hadn't fully unpacked).

Datenshi perked up immediately, and was practically purring with pleasure. Which was sending vibrations through Kasumi's hands and up her arms. It made cleaning the sword difficult, but it caused her goose flesh to recede.

Sliding Datenshi back into her sheath, Kasumi wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and went to the kitchen to make some breakfast. She unlocked the door so Matsumoto could come in on her own.

She brought out a frying pan, two plates, a bowl, and a cutting board. Not knowing how long it had been since someone had last done so, Kasumi washed the frying pan.

Walking over to the refrigerator, she pulled out a carton of eggs, a tomato, an onion, and the much diminished block of cheese.

Searching out a cheese grater—and subsequently washing it, too—she did a number on the abused cheese block. She swept all of the cheese shavings to one side of the cutting board and chopped up half of both the tomato and onion.

Matsumoto, having always had the best timing, chose that moment to waltz into Kasumi's apartment as if this was a regular occurrence.

"How many eggs do you want?" Kasumi called, rolling her eyes at her neighbor's already immaculate appearance.

"Three, please!" Matsumoto plunked herself down on the sofa. "You need to get a table!" she yelled.

"Why? It's not like I'll have any company, besides you. And do I look like I'm made out of money to you?" Kasumi took out six eggs, putting the carton back in the refrigerator. She cracked them open into the bowl and threw away the shells. Taking a fork, she started to break the yolks apart, mixing them together.

When she was done, she turned on the stove and poured the yellow mess into the frying pan. A minute later, she added the sliced tomato and onion, as well as a generous sprinkling of pepper.

Once it was cooked all the way through, Kasumi turned off the stove and doled out the eggs equally onto the two plates. She handed Matsumoto a fork and a portion, while she took the other. "Scrambled eggs—bon appetite."

She pointed to the cupboards. "Ketchup and honey if you want it." Kasumi had already added honey to hers.

* * *

Matsumoto knocked on Kasumi's bedroom door. "Come on! It's almost time to leave! You don't want to be late, do you?" Swearing ensued from the other side, in several different languages. Matsumoto chuckled to herself. "How hard can it be to put on the uniform?" 

"God-damn hard! Where the hell does this part go?!" Kasumi yelled. There was a lot of thrashing, and then complete silence.

After a minute, Matsumoto began to get worried. Then she heard Kasumi say quietly, "Help me, please. I'm stuck."

The chuckles turned into full-blown laughter when Matsumoto saw that Kasumi had managed to get her head in one of the sleeves.

"It's not that funny. I've always been clothing-challenged." Kasumi glared at her neighbor, and then started groping around for Datenshi. She waved the zanpakuto threateningly in Matsumoto's general direction.

"Okay, okay! I'll help you out!"

Eventually, Kasumi had the uniform on correctly. She looked distastefully at the long, loose sleeves. "These will just get in the way," she grumbled.

"You _are_ allowed to modify the uniform, just not drastically." Matsumoto indicated her colourful accessory.

Kasumi's eyes brightened and she went off in search of some scissors. She sheared off the sleeves half-way between her shoulders and elbows. "Do you have any needles and thread?"

"In my apartment."

"Let's go then." She grabbed her lunch (which basically consisted of just a sandwich), and they headed over there.

"What do you need the thread for?" Matsumoto asked, handing it over.

"To make some hems on these sleeves so the ends don't fray." She made a few stitches in each, and then handed it back to her new friend. "Here, this will hold for today."

As they stepped outside, the sky growled ominously. "It's going to rain later," Matsumoto observed. "We'd better hurry."

* * *

Rangiku walked Kasumi all the way to 9th Division, and then had to leave quickly so she wouldn't get soaked if it started raining. 

Kasumi strode over to the office. She knocked, but she didn't get any answer. She slid the door open cautiously. Her Captain _was_ there, but he certainly wasn't going to notice her presence anytime soon. He was fast asleep, sprawled out over his desk.

Kasumi stood there for a moment, surprised. She walked up to him and waved a hand in front of his face, checking to see if he really was sleeping. He was.

Kasumi looked at the papers on his desk and realized that with the sheer amount that was there—completed—he must have pulled an all-nighter to finish the stacks.

Glancing at the time, Kasumi still had a couple of hours until their scheduled meeting. The paperwork had labels as to where it was supposed to go. Might as well be useful while she was waiting, she supposed.

Stepping outside the office, she pulled aside some shinigami that were lazing around. She had them deliver the stacks to their destination, but she couldn't find anyone willing to deliver to 11th and 12th Divisions. She'd have to do it herself, for she lacked the authority to order anyone else to do the task. Luckily, she had been there the day before.

Spying an umbrella in the corner of the office, Kasumi grabbed it to keep the paper dry should it start to rain. Hastily scribbling a note to Shyuuhei, she grabbed the twin stacks and ran out to deliver them.

* * *

By the time she was done, Kasumi found herself agreeing with Ikkaku's assessment of the 12th Division's Captain. He was really creepy; he had looked at her like she was something that would be interesting to dissect. It reminded her of the way one of her friends, back when she was alive, would look at a piece of technology she was about to take apart to see how it worked. 

She was loathe to go back outside though. She was able to tell that it was raining due to various aches and pains all over her.

The base of her skull pounded as she stepped out. She pulled out the umbrella and started to limp her way back to her Captain's office. The scars that were wrapped around her right ankle to continue up her leg burned like there was an icy fire lit just under the skin.

Half-way there, she began to shiver and shake uncontrollably. It was rather cold out, and the umbrella leaked. Not soon enough for Kasumi, the building came into sight.

When she entered, she found that Shyuuhei was no longer asleep on his desk. There was a note and a towel on the unused Lieutenant's desk. To Kasumi's surprise, it was addressed to her. She started to read it carefully.

_Kasumi-_

_Thank you for taking care of my paperwork while I was temporarily indisposed_ (Kasumi started laughing at this)_. I see you took the umbrella with you, but that old thing is a little leaky, so dry off with the towel. There should be a clean pair of socks as well. _(Kasumi located them.) _Sandals__**are**__—unfortunately—a requirement with this uniform, so your feet are probably soaked. When you are done, meet me in the indoor training area. It's the last door on your right, down the hall_

_-Shyuuhei Hisagi_

_Captain of 9__th__ Division_

Kasumi was shocked. It had never occurred to her that her Captain would care this much about his subordinates. She got a warm, fuzzy feeling in her belly.

Not wanting to keep him waiting for her any longer than necessary, she quickly did as she was told. When she was completely dry and warm again, she ran off to the meeting place, a small smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

Me: Here's the Disclaimer!

Me: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Besides, if I did, would I really be writing fanfiction?

Mom: Yes, you would.

Me: Why do say that?

Mom: Because I know you really well.

Me: … You're probably right…

(This is a real conversation I had once…)

* * *

Chapter 5

Shyuuhei blinked when he saw Kasumi enter the training area. She seemed to be in a much better mood than she had the day before. He noted the distinct lack of sleeves with amusement.

"Hello, Kasumi," he greeted.

"Hello, Captain! Thanks for the towel and socks!"

"No problem at all. Now, I have called you over to the training area so that you can be placed within the Division, be it as a seated officer, or a regular shinigami. Understood?"

"Sure." She nodded her head. "Makes sense. How are you going to do that?"

"Well," he explained, "the best way is to fight. It's traditional that the Lieutenant or the Captain does the testing, so that serious injuries are avoided. The only exception is the 11th Division, for rather obvious reasons. You're stuck with me though, as I don't have a Lieutenant."

"Oh, so is that the reason why you pulled an all-nighter yesterday? To get the paperwork out of the way while I'm being tested?"

Shyuuhei frowned. The girl was pretty perceptive. And not to mention extremely blunt. "Yes, that is correct."

Kasumi nodded, mulling over the concept of a fight with her Captain. "Wait a minute," she spoke suddenly, something occurring to her. "Does this mean I have to use my zanpakuto?"

"No, I'll take you out to fight Hollows to find out where your sword skills stand. However, shunpo, hakudo, and kido, will be tried here and now. You ready?"

The girl shrugged. "As ready as I could ever be to spar with a Captain Class fighter." Then she vanished without warning from Shyuuhei's vision. He quickly threw up his right arm to block a roundhouse kick to his face. Using the limb as a lever, Kasumi pushed off of it and flipped so that she was facing him on two feet once more.

_Fast_, he thought to himself as he prepared for another such attack. He wasn't disappointed when Kasumi ran at him and tried to sweep his legs out from under him. Jumping straight up to avoid the leg, he didn't allow her time to recover as he copied her leg sweep, planning on making it even more difficult to stand up.

She quickly rolled out of range and to her feet in one fluid motion. The baggy uniform was beginning to annoy her, as it decreased the speed at which she could attack and block.

Using shunpo, she attempted to kick his head from the rear. He easily grabbed her foot and twisted. Her eyes widened as she turned the potentially painful fall into a graceful landing through the artful use of a twist and a flip. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she danced backwards a couple of steps, still facing him.

Getting an idea, she suddenly darted forward and kicked upward with her left foot. Shyuuhei blocked successfully, only to have his arms gripped in Kasumi's left hand. Whispering the shorthand incantation for White Lightning, she landed a direct hit on her Captain's mid-section. She let go and whirled around, using the momentum in her right leg to try and knock Shyuuhei's out from under him.

Even slightly injured, he managed to dodge the attack easily. He held up his hand in a stopping motion, and Kasumi obeyed, standing quietly where she was.

"That's enough. I think I have a good idea about where your abilities stand as of now." He glanced out a window. "Since it's not raining anymore, we can go out and test your sword skills." Kasumi's stomach made a loud complaint at this. "After lunch," he amended.

* * *

Meanwhile, Matsumoto was steadily becoming extremely bored, with no remedy in sight. Other than paperwork—which she wouldn't do, for obvious reasons—there was nothing to do in her Division. Her Captain was keeping an eye on her, so she couldn't bring out the hidden stash of sake she had smuggled into the office sometime last week. 

"Caaaaaaapptaaaaaainnn!"

"What?!" he hissed, glaring at her for interrupting him while he was working.

"I'm hungry! Can I go have lunch now?"

He glanced at the clock on the wall; it read 12:30. He sighed heavily. "Yes, you may go. You had better be back within a reasonable amount of time, though!" he added, before he realized that he was talking to an empty room. "Lovely," he growled as he put away his brushes and ink. He left quickly to catch up to his Lieutenant, having noticed the mischievous glint in her eyes a split second before she vanished.

He knew, from personal experience, that whatever she had planned wasn't going to be a fun experience for the target. He also had a sneaking suspicion about who it might be, having listened to Matsumoto talking excitedly about her 'too serious' new neighbor.

He sprinted to 9th Division.

* * *

_Hee hee…I wonder how Kasumi and Shyuuhei are getting along?_ the gleeful, busty blonde thought to herself. 

_[According to Datenshi, quite well._

_'__Hai__neko! I haven't heard from you at all today! How are you?'_

_[Fine. I've been talking with Datenshi, Kasumi's zanpakuto, so I've been busy._

_'What do you think of the two?'_

_[Datenshi is extremely overprotective of her owner, but other than that, I like them._

_'Great! Now, how can we embarrass her the most?'_

There was no answer at first from the sword. Then, _[I do not __wish to be involved. Hyorinmaru__ has yelled at me too many times. I'd rather not get frozen water on my fur again, thank you very much._

_'You're no fun.'_ Haineko refused to reply to this.

"Hmm…let's see…since Haineko is being a fun crusher, I'll have to get more people to come and help me! OH, I know! I'll call a Shinigami Woman's Association meeting!" she declared out loud. Then, after some thought, "It wouldn't be nearly as fun without some of the guys though…I'll just have to bring them too!"

Matsumoto ran off in the direction of 11th Division to get Yachiru, the complete opposite of where her Captain went.

* * *

Sorry guys for the late update. A couple of friends and I are going on the warpath and are out for blood from this one guy, so we've been busy plotting. Please review! See ya next time! (Oh, and if anyone knows the name of Shyuuhei's sword, please tell me. I can't find it anywhere.) 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Besides, if I did, I would much rather be living the story than writing it anyway.

Uhh…my head hurts…need…sleep…but…must…study…for…finals… (Collapses)

* * *

Shyuuhei watched incredulously as Kasumi inhaled what had to be her fourth sandwich. She finished it off, and then pulled out a fifth from the small brown paper bag she'd brought from her apartment.

"Are you sure you and Rangiku only just met? And are in no way related?"

Kasumi turned to look at him, sandwich hanging out of her mouth. She swallowed her bite and replied, "What do you mean?"

"Where do you put all of that food?"

She looked at him and answered, with a completely serious face, "I have a black hole where my stomach should be." She concentrated on her sandwich once more.

As soon as it was gone, she reached for more in her bag. She frowned when she found none, peering suspiciously into the bag as if it were purposely hiding more sandwiches from her.

Shyuuhei couldn't help smiling a little; it was just too funny-looking. A bright happy look came onto her face, as she triumphantly held up a large apple she had discovered deep in the bowels of the bag. The Captain laughed out right now.

Kasumi gave him a look that was a cross between being confused, and suspicious. She didn't know why, but she had the sneaky feeling that he was laughing at something she did. However, she couldn't imagine what it might have been. "What?" she asked, staring at him.

"Nothing."

"Suuuuuuure." She didn't believe him.

"Kasumi."

"Yes?"

"About your hakudo…are you right foot dominant?"

She blinked. "Yeah, I am. What about it?"

"Then, why do you always land on your left foot? Is there something wrong with your right?"

Kasumi flat out stared at Shyuuhei in amazement. "You picked up on that?! That's amazing, Captain! I've always been told that it was hard to tell that anything was wrong with it!"

"So, what's wrong with it?"

"Back when I was alive, I accidently ripped one of the ligaments in my ankle off."

"I sure hope it was an accident."

Kasumi shot him a disapproving look. "I had two surgeries to fix it, but neither got the job done quite right. So, not only is it hard to balance on my right leg, I'm in almost constant pain—especially when it gets cold out or rains."

"How in the world are you able to fight?!"

"Because I have to. That, and I ignore it." She shrugged. "I've had years worth of practice, after all. But the ironic thing is, less than a year after the second surgery, I died!" Kasumi rolled her eyes. "Sheesh."

"How did you die?" Kasumi shifted uncomfortably, not happy with the new topic. Old injuries, she could talk about. Her death? Not so much. Noticing, Shyuuhei scrambled to get himself out of the hole he was digging. "I mean, you look like you died fairly young."

"I did," Kasumi answered. "I only died…what, less than three years ago? I'm still trying to get used to that fact."

_And Hell didn't exactly help matters_, Kasumi added to herself. "As for fighting, my zanpakuto has an attack that makes running around unnecessary." Shyuuhei raised an eyebrow at this. "I'll show you later."

There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Shyuuhei called out. A short, white-haired kid in a Captain's haori walked in.

Now, Kasumi liked kids a lot. The proof being how easily she got along with Yachiru. She couldn't decide whether to be respectful of the Captain, or ruffle his soft-looking hair. She compromised by stealing Shyuuhei's food while he wasn't looking.

Seeing this, Toushiro stifled a laugh, and then put on his serious face. "Hello, Shyuuhei," he greeted.

"Good afternoon, Toushiro. Did you need anything?"

"Yes, I came to warn you about what Matsumoto is up to. Have you seen her today?" the young Captain asked, watching over Shyuuhei's shoulder with amusement as Kasumi devoured his fellow Captain's lunch without the man noticing. He coughed to cover a laugh as he saw her finish everything off in less than a minute and start looking for more.

"Are you okay, Toushiro? Maybe you should get that cough checked out."

"It's probably nothing, don't worry about it. In any case, if she isn't here already, she will be soon. She's been plotting something all morning, and it has to do with her 'too serious new neighbor.'"

Kasumi twitched.

Noticing this, the guys gave her looks of pity. She glared in return.

Realizing that he had left Kasumi out of the conversation (not that she minded, his lunch was tasty), he gestured to the other Captain. "Captain Hitsugaya, this is my new division member, Kasumi Chimamire. Kasumi, this is Captain Hitsugaya."

Kasumi bowed, slightly. A little startled that she knew about the custom of bowing instead of shaking hands, Toushiro did the same. "Pleased to meet you," they said at the same time. Shyuuhei chuckled; it seemed that Kasumi knew what manners were and would get along with the officers.

Unfortunately, as the authoress is feeling mean, Matsumoto decided that _now_ would be the opportune moment to make her entrance as loud as possible. "Kasumi!" The stricken look on the girl's face must have meant something completely different in Matsumoto World™. "Oh, don't worry! I brought you new people to meet! See, see?!"

Indeed, she had brought new people. Lots of people. The 9th Division's indoor training area was rather large, but it was considerably smaller with all of the new additions to the group.

"We're never going to get to the sword fighting portion, are we?" Kasumi whispered to her Captain as Matsumoto made known that a Women's Shinigami Society meeting would be held in a little while. In other words, when Matsumoto stopped goofing off long enough to shoo all of the men out.

"No." Shyuuhei's answer was very short, and had a feeling of finality to it. "You're in their clutches now. I wish you the best of luck."

Kasumi felt an ominous presence nearby, and looked up to see Matsumoto standing above her. Without further ado, the busty Lieutenant dragged the poor foreign girl over to where the other people who forced to come were waiting to be introduced.

* * *

Anyone feel sorry for the poor girl, yet?

I'm sleepy now. But I still need to do homework, so I may not update for awhile.

Please take pity on this poor authoress. She needs reviews to live. Plus, they motivate her to update faster.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Yes! At last! My superior lawyers (yes, multiple) have put together the paperwork, and now I can own Bleach! All I have to do is sign the paperwork… (stares at huge, multiple stacks of legal mumbo jumbo) …too much effort. I'm going back to sleep…

Wow…I'm writing this at one in the morning…I need a life…oh well. Bleah. I can't believe they haven't mentioned Shuuhei's zanpakuto's name yet: he's really cool! They need to at least mention it in passing… Turns out, I've been spelling Shuuhei's name wrong. I'll fix it from this chapter on, but I feel too lazy to change what I've already written—so it will stay Shyuuhei in the chapters before this. Thanks for pointing that out, Hana Ryuuzaki! Oh, and I think that I'll start accepting anonymous reviews now.

'_Datenshi, if you don't stop humming right now, I'm going to throw you down the nearest well,'_ Kasumi informed her zanpakuto. Datenshi decided that it was in her best interest to listen, for once. Kasumi heaved a sigh of relief; she had enough of a headache as it was, even without Datenshi's help.

"Hey, Kasumi! Quit sulking and get over here!" Matsumoto called, gesturing to yet more people for the poor girl to meet.

Kasumi sighed heavily, but walked over anyway. "Rangiku, you do realize that I had something to do after lunch, right?" Matsumoto gave her a blank look. "Apparently not. I was supposed to demonstrate my ability to wield a zanpakuto, in order to be properly placed within the 9th Division."

Matsumoto brightened, which Kasumi took as a bad sign. She was not the only one, because the redhead that had been about to be introduced took a step backward once he saw the evil gleam in the blonde's eyes. "Oh, but Kasumi dear," and here the girl in question twitched, "that's why we have Renji…"

Matsumoto turned to face the poor Lieutenant, who was edging away as fast as he could. Contrary to what Ichigo might say, he wasn't stupid. Right now, he was feeling very much like prey. He gulped, and Kasumi resisted the urge to enjoy the fact that someone else was on the receiving end of her neighbor's sense of mischief.

"Come on you two, let's go outside…" Neither actually had a choice in the matter: they were forcibly hauled out by the front of their uniforms.



They ended up in a smaller training room than the one they were in before. Kasumi looked around her, curious. The room was rather much the same as the previous one, except that there was a rack of wooden swords leaning against the wall.

Figuring that this was what was expected of her, she walked over to the swords to pick one out. She scanned them, reaching out to pick a few up, only to put them back. Finally, she found one she liked the heft of. It was rather bulkier than the others, but just as light. Kasumi twirled it a couple of times in order to get a feel for it. Yup, she liked this one.

"So, you're right-handed, I assume?" the redhead—Renji, Kasumi recalled—asked, also picking out one of the wooden swords.

"Mostly." Kasumi moved out towards the middle of the room, where Rangiku stood ready to referee. She twirled the sword few more times.

"'Mostly?'" Renji repeated, finishing up his selection. He found the one he was looking for, and strode to face Kasumi on the opposite side of the room.

She shrugged. "I do some things better with my left hand, like cracking eggs one-handed. For some reason, I can't seem to do it with my right. I also can't snap my fingers with my right hand." She turned to Matsumoto. "Are you sure this is alright?"

The Lieutenant bobbed her head up and down, quickly. "Of course! This is an acceptable way to gauge strength, and is recognized by all of the Gotei Thirteen! Besides, Renji is a good opponent since he used to be a part of 11th, for a little while, at least."

"Hey, that's mean!" Matsumoto shrugged. "I would suggest you keep on your toes, Kasumi!"

The transferee gave a tiny smile, with something that looked suspiciously like mischief twinkling in her eyes. "Same to you."

"Okay!" Matsumoto called. "The rules are the same for that of a typical spar: the first hit in the designated places decides the match! No kido or hoho is allowed, but a limited amount of hakudo is! Now, on your mark! Get set! Go!" The busty woman quickly got out of the way before she got caught in the middle.

Renji wasted no time, and leapt forwards, aiming for Kasumi's shoulder. He was surprised when he found himself blocked and then forcibly pushed back through just pressure applied through the wooden sword.

Not one to be daunted, he immediately tried again, aiming for Kasumi's midsection. Again, he was blocked effortlessly. However, he made several quick attacks oriented on a couple of the designated 'kill' spots: the chest and abdomen. Blocked again.



Now, he took a closer look at his opponent, no longer underestimating her. What he saw scared him a little. She was utterly calm, and analyzing his every move. She was taking apart his very style of fighting, piece-by-piece.

'_He'll try feinting, next,'_ Kasumi thought. She wasn't disappointed. After these first attacks, the spar would get serious, as the two tested each other's abilities.

The clashes of wood-on-wood became more frequent, and the power behind them stronger. Kasumi stopped purely defending and started a sequence of her own. It may not have seemed like it, but Renji had improved considerably since the Winter War. His strikes had _force_ behind them.

Then, in a spur of the moment decision, instead of blocking, she viciously attacked his sword, pushing it back. Drawing her own weapon back a little she struck the length of wood again, putting a lot of power behind it.

Renji wasn't prepared for this. He almost couldn't bring his sword around to block the one that was aimed for his heart. His elbows felt like they were going to snap. If that blow had connected, it probably would have sent him flying across the room.

The two leapt apart, and then Renji swung again. Once again, Kasumi didn't block. But, she also didn't repeat what she had done earlier. Instead of holding her weapon steady against the strike, her blade skittered down the length of Renji's. Then she struck the right side of the weapon, which went flying out of Renji's hands and hit the wall.

She gently tapped his chest with her wooden sword. "I win."

Then she turned to face Matsumoto and the small crowd of spectators, who were all standing slack-jawed. Sure they had expected her to fight well. They hadn't thought that she would actually succeed in winning, however.

Kasumi stared back at them, confused. "What?"

Sorry I had to cut this short. I need food. That, and the fight scene annoyed me. I need a break.

Review! I need them to live! You have no excuse!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I have finally changed my mind. If I did own Bleach (which I don't, by the way) I would make the chapters come out quicker than the true owner is actually giving them out! I hate the slowness of the magazine! IT'S CURRENTLY DRIVING ME BONKERS!!**

**Sorry, but I've been suffering from an acute case of writer's block for this story. The. Next. Scene. Just wouldn't. Freaking. COME! Thanks, for those of you who haven't given up on me and are actually reading this chapter!**

**OH. MY. GOD. MY MOTHER DID NOT JUST BURN A HOLE THROUGH A POP-TART.**

**--**

Even though Kasumi felt weird given the stares earlier, she felt even stranger now with a whole bunch of people she didn't know clustered around her. She wasn't prone to claustrophobia, but she certainly didn't like being practically crushed.

Even if they _were _trying to be helpful and nice, by congratulating her on her fight with Renji.

She nearly thanked the heavens when someone she didn't know broke up the little "party."

"Hey, you're actually pretty good! Let me have a go, too!"

Kasumi stared at the smiling orange-haired young man in a Captain's haori with the kanji for five emblazoned on the back. Was he going for Kenpachi's look with the ill-kempt appearance of the symbol of status? Really. He didn't look that much older than herself. "You mean, like a match?"

"Of course!"

She stared blankly at him. Unfortunately—we're not quite sure for whom—she had always lacked a couple of things that most people found useful in everyday life. Important things that one usually used for all interpersonal relationships.

"Who are you? And…why do you have a giant butcher knife strapped to your back?"

Tact—and that useful thing called a mind that tells you when something might not be a smart thing to say or do. Most people would confuse the latter with a lack of caring about what impression they make upon others. The difference was that not caring would imply that the person actually went through a _thought process_ before speaking.

Her thoughts—and by extension, words—never went through that particular filter. Since she had never possessed that ability of cognitive thought in the first place.

It could really be a problem at times. Like now, for example.

There was dead silence from everyone else in the room. Even Matsumoto was staring in shock. Renji was the first to break, bursting out in uncontrollable laughter and incoherent babbling. Soon everyone else, including the orange-haired Captain, followed suit.

Kasumi released a breath she didn't remember holding. Luckily, these people didn't seem to be ones to take things too seriously, like she did all too often.

Matsumoto slapped her new friend hard on the back, tears streaming out of her eyes. "I love you! Marry me!"

The transferee gave a wan smile. "And to think, how will I tell my mother that my first proposal was from another girl?" This only sent the two into convulsions, since not even Kasumi could keep her serious mask in place.

Leaning out the door, the still-unnamed Captain called, "Hey, Shuuhei!! Lucky bastard, you got yourself a comedian!"

"I am not!" Kasumi yelled, hoping that her point was made. Judging by the guffaws from down the hall, she'd been heard. And ignored. Same as with the rest of her small crowd of spectators. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Wow, Kasumi!" Matsumoto chirped looking pleased. "I didn't know you had a sense of humour!"

The poor girl _swore_ she felt a gigantic sweatdrop run down the back of her head. Really, what was that emotion called? She had NO idea…

Throwing her arms up in defeat, she declared, "I give up! There's no point! I'm only here a couple of days, and you're already out to get me!"

She joined everyone in the—she was positive it was—contagious laughter. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly relaxed and at home with these people who were practically strangers.

The Unnamed One stuck his hand out in front of him, still beaming ear from ear. "Kurosaki Ichigo, Captain of Fifth Division. Ever feel the need to switch divisions, come and see me! I'd be glad to steal you away from Scarface over there!" The fact that he completely disregarded Kasumi's scars was not lost on everyone present.

_Scarface. _Kasumi had a silent chuckle over that one. She couldn't help it, it reminded her too much of an old movie. Firmly clasping Ichigo's hand, she gave him a nod. "Chimamire Kasumi. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

A good day, indeed.

--

Or…maybe not…

'_Hey, Datenshi?'_

Kasumi felt the sword spirit stir. _Yeah?_

'_Could you do me a favor and remind me to murder Rangiku when there are no witnesses around?'_

The sword perked up. _Sure!_

After all, it was entirely her new friend's fault that she was in this predicament.

"Kasumi! Truth or Dare?"

She really, REALLY, hated this game. She could never think of good questions or dares, nor did she usually like the ones presented to her. Stupid, stupid Rangiku. Stupid, stupid _persuasive _neighbor. Kasumi had not been aware that she was weak when it came to puppy dog eyes.

Well, now she knew.

"Hellooooo, Kasumi? Pick one!"

She weighed her options carefully. Since it was Rangiku asking, the end result could go very wrong no matter which she chose. Truth would be extremely embarrassing, most likely, while Dare would probably either get her killed, maimed, or extremely embarrassed.

Glancing at Nanao, who sat nearby, was enough to dissuade her from choosing Dare. Yachiru had dared her to put underwear on her head. The 8th Division lieutenant was looking a little worse for wear (not to mention severely pissed off). Oh sure, she could have refused to do the dare, but that would have meant accepting the penalty for backing out.

Kasumi's eyes drifted to the…_thing_…that sat on the small table in front of them. There was no one color to describe the mixture inside of the glass (although Kasumi thought that 'puke' described it rather accurately). And, to make matters worse, it was _bubbling_. Matsumoto and Nemu had both mixed it together, so whatever the hell it was…there was no way anyone was even going to come within 10 feet of it, much less actually _drink_ it.

"Truth," she answered reluctantly.

When she saw Matsumoto's eyes gleam, she knew she had done something stupid. However, that opinion didn't change when she saw her neighbor's face turn deadly serious.

"Kasumi," the 10th Division lieutenant started, staring down at said girl's legs. "When I was helping with your uniform, I noticed that there was something wrong with your right leg. What happened to it? And, be specific," she added as an afterthought.

Flinching hard, Kasumi unconsciously drew the limbs towards her. While she had been able to make light of it with her new Captain, she definitely couldn't tell what had happened. She didn't want the memories to come again. "It's not just my right one. It's both," she clarified, quietly. "The right one is just much worse, is all."

Unohana carefully made her way over to the brand new lieutenant. "Let me see, please. Perhaps there is something that I can do to help."

Kasumi shook her head, but unfurled her legs all the same.

The Captain of Fourth pushed Kasumi's pant legs up a little bit, and started to unwrap the bandages on the right leg as gently as possible, noting how the muscle seemed to twitch and spasm involuntarily.

However, when the limb was fully revealed, even Unohana and Isane—who were used to horrible injuries—paled slightly. The others went white as a sheet, and made them thank the heavens that they had the remarkable healers that they did. Even Yachiru seemed to understand the gravity of the wound, or rather, _wounds_.

"What happened?" the Captain asked, sending small amounts of healing kido into Kasumi's ankle and calf. It spasmed badly with the lightest touch, making her worry. Judging by how the girl was reacting, Unohana could tell that this was not only a regular occurrence, but it also wasn't being actively controlled by the owner.

"I tore the ligament," the transferee stated, mouth pressed into a thin line. The spasm _hurt_.

Matsumoto gave her a stern look, slightly recovered from the initial shock. "That doesn't explain the rest of it, and you still haven't fully answered the Truth question."

She was right: the surgery scar was thick and raised up, but it only stretched from the middle of her calf down through her ankle to the bottom of her foot.

Isane pointed towards a deep scar with even deeper pockmarks that spiraled up around the leg, being careful not to touch it. "What about that one?"

"Barbed wire," was the terse response.

"And the rest?" Unohana prompted quietly.

Kasumi didn't even bother offering an explanation. Her brain was no longer registering anything happening on the physical plane. Images of blood and stinging pain haunted her mind's eye.

"It looks like something took a bite out of you," Rukia observed, craning her neck to see clearly.

"Several, large, toothy somethings," Nanao added, looking serious despite the underwear on her head. "Hollows?" she guessed, glancing at Kasumi just in time to see the girl grab the concoction on the table.

Drinking it in two big gulps, she turned several shades whiter as she put the empty glass down.

Matsumoto stared. "Kasumi, that had several different types of alcohol in it. Are you okay?"

"…I can hold my liquor."

"Then why are you turning green?" Indeed, this was the case.

"This isn't alcohol. It's poison. Not even alcohol is this foul-tasting."

Despite the slight hilarity of this event, Kasumi had clearly displayed her intention to ignore the Truth question posed to her by Matsumoto.

Unohana smiled a little when she saw Kasumi relax. There wasn't much she could do for the limb—other than temporarily numb the pain—but she sensed that her newest charge would be just fine. She was intelligent and strong enough to find ways around the handicap. She would never reach the same level of power as, say, Ichigo, but she would be alright.

She was still worried, though, as the game of Truth or Dare continued around her—Kasumi's legs temporarily forgotten. There would almost certainly come a time when the girl would need more mobility than she can have with such mangled supports.

However, as she watched the new friends interact, she felt that her worries were rather unfounded. With people to support her as her legs, she wouldn't need, nor care about any deficiencies in her fighting—or even everyday life.

--

There comes a time, when you realize that you have done something you really, really shouldn't have. For example, now. Isane knew that as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she was going to regret them.

"Yachiru—Truth or Dare?"

Stupid, stupid, she berated herself.

The pink-haired bundle of joy thought about it for a full second, before declaring, "Dare!"

"Um…" now she was stuck. She didn't know what to ask. Then, it hit her. "Oh, that's right! You've been talking about that thing you found in the real world, lately. But you haven't showed it to us, yet! I Dare you to show it to us!"

Yachiru blinked. "Okay, but nobody knows what it is!" She then pulled it out of nowhere, shocking everyone present (since it _was _rather large compared to the little girl).

All of the women stared in curiosity at the strange object. That is, all except for three of them, who recognized it immediately. Nemu, being an expert on…well…almost everything, knew what it was but chose to remain silent (as per usual). Rukia broke out into a cold sweat, having seen one before in a manga she had read.

And the other person?

Kasumi stared at it for a moment, with her serious face. "Yachiru," she began, thinking intently.

"Yeah?"

"If you give me that, I'll give you candy." This had various reactions among those present. Nemu did nothing, Rukia disappeared, Yachiru squealed happily, and the others looked on with expressions of slight misgiving.

Once it was securely in her possession (and Yachiru had been appeased), she turned to face Matsumoto. "This," she stated giving her neighbor a hard look, "is payback for making me play this game."

"Uh oh."

--

The males were having also having a meeting of sorts, down the hall. Basically, they were skipping out on work.

Then, all of a sudden, they heard a strange noise and stopped talking.

Ichigo blinked. Was that…? No, it couldn't be…Soul Society didn't have things like that. But it sounded awfully like one…

Rukia ran past, booking it for her division and the safety of paperwork.

Finally, the Captain voiced his thoughts. "Is that a chainsaw?"

Shuuhei decided that, while he didn't know what a chainsaw was, it was going to mean even more paperwork.

--

**Yeah, I know. Random. But I can totally imagine her doing this.**

**Please review, I have candy. If you review, I give it to you. If you don't, Yachiru gets it. And we wouldn't want that, would we?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own this plot, Kasumi, Datenshi, and Arianri, but nothing else. Just so we're clear. (Shifty eyes.)**

**Wow, thanks for all of the reviews, everybody! I didn't think that the chainsaw would go over too well, but it seems that you liked it as much as I did! Candy for you all!**

**I decided to put the explanation behind the chainsaw into the main storyline.**

**My mother VAPORIZED MY POPTART. I didn't think that was POSSIBLE. Then again, I also didn't think it was possible to make butter explode in the microwave. I have been proven wrong on that count THREE TIMES.**

**--**

Shuuhei sat at his desk, wearily gazing at the two lieutenants in front of him. Matsumoto and Kasumi were both unrepentant. Although, Matsumoto did keep shooting wary looks at the chainsaw that no one was willing to take away from the American.

Gesturing to the crowd behind the detainees, he asked, "Anyone care to elaborate on what happened?"

Rukia popped up next to his desk, making him jump. When had she gotten there?

"I'll explain, sir," she volunteered, not seeming to notice how her appearance scared the Captain. "Matsumoto suggested that we play a game of Truth or Dare…"

She didn't have to say anymore. The entire male populace in the room shuddered, understanding why Kasumi went berserk. That game was EVIL.

"Um…" Shuuhei began, sweating a little nervously. "How did Kasumi get the chainsaw in the first place?"

"Oh," Kasumi answered, speaking up, "I bought it off Yachiru. I gave her some candy."

This caused everyone to shiver once again.

"Do I even want to know how she got that?"

Here, Kenpachi stepped forward. "I'll explain…"

--

A couple of weeks ago, Kenpachi and Yachiru were in something of a bind. Having not preformed any Soul Burials or Hollow purifications in the world of the living for at least a couple of decades, they were way behind in their quota.

However, if the shinigami in charge of Karakura hadn't put in a vacation request, this would have remained unnoticed. On the other hand, you couldn't blame the poor guy. He hadn't had a vacation in the five years since the Winter War.

As soon as the request was processed, the clerk in charge of choosing people to take his place came upon the fact that Yachiru and Kenpachi had, once again, not fulfilled this particular duty in a while. Even Captains had to do their rounds, there were no exceptions.

The 11th Division Captain was promptly informed at the next Captains meeting of this. He was ordered to go to the world of the living, pick up a gigai from Urahara, and stay there for the next three days.

To which Zaraki replied, "There is no way I'm going to stay with the pansy ass!" What he didn't say was that he was afraid of what would happen if Yachiru were to discover the fact that the shop was a candy store.

Ichigo, thinking he was being helpful, suggested, "Why don't you stay at my family's house instead? I'm sure my younger sisters would be glad to have Yachiru around, and my father would as well. They know about Soul Society, so I don't think it would be a problem."

Deciding this was a better idea, Kenpachi agreed, and Yamamoto gave his consent to the plan.

Upon arriving in the living world, Kenpachi and Yachiru picked up their gigais and headed to Ichigo's house. Introducing themselves, they were welcomed wholeheartedly. Especially Yachiru.

Since Ichigo's sisters were now in high school, the restrictions they had on them before were loosened. So, they invited Yachiru to watch a movie with them. The movie just so happened to be an American film, called the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

Long story short, Yachiru liked the movie, and begged Kenpachi for a chainsaw. Knowing better than to refuse her anything, he stole one for her.

--

"So, in the end…" Shuuhei started.

"It was all Ichigo's fault," the rest of the room concluded.

"Huh?" was said culprit's eloquent response.

"Anyway," the Captain of 9th continued, ignoring the confused Ichigo, "there is still the matter of how to punish you two. Ichigo can pay for the damages, but the fact remains that you two were the reason the room was destroyed." He paused, trying to think of something suitable.

Then it hit him. "Alright, your punishment, Kasumi, is to lead the division's training in the morning. Unfortunately, this means you will do it in the rain and muck, since the training room isn't suitable right now. And Matsumoto, you will help her. Captain Hitsugaya? Does this arrangement bother you at all?"

"No," the white-haired captain answered, hiding a smile.

Thus, the punishment session was concluded with a fight between Ichigo and Rukia on who was paying for what.

--

After everyone had filed out, Shuuhei realized that it was starting to get dark already. Glancing at the clock, he was surprised to see that it read 5:00 PM. "Hey, Kasumi!" he called to the girl who was acquainting herself with what was to be her desk.

She looked up, showing that she was listening.

"It's almost time to head home, so why don't I finish up cleaning my desk and we'll both leave?"

"Sure," she agreed easily, waiting patiently while he put away his brush and inks. When he was finished, they both left, closing the doors behind them carefully.

It was still raining, but not as hard as it had been earlier in the day. Still, that's why it had gotten dark so early. It wasn't quite time for winter, yet.

Kasumi, not caring in the slightest, strode off into the downpour just as Shuuhei was about to suggest they wait it out a little more.

Quickly, he chased after her. "Aren't you afraid you'll catch a cold?" he inquired, watching his new subordinate carefully.

She turned to look at him, the expression of quiet contentment on her face shocking the captain. "Not at all. Cold's aren't that hard to get rid of, just take a lot of Echinacea and eat a lot of oranges." She looked up at the cloudy sky. "Besides," she added, "I like the rain."

"Even though it makes your leg hurt?"

Kasumi glanced at him again, and then returned her gaze to the sky. "Yeah. But, then again I liked it before my leg injury. So maybe that has something to do with it."

"Why _do_ you like it, though?" Shuuhei was genuinely curious.

This time, when she turned to look at him, she caught and held his eyes with her own. They mesmerized him; it was like gazing into the moon's reflection on snow. Such an odd, hauntingly beautiful silvery-blue…

Barely contained joy shone through those orbs. She truly _did_ love the rain. "Obviously you've never gone dancing in the rain, or you wouldn't even be asking me that."

He noticed somewhere in the back of his mind that her hair was starting to curl a little around her face, while the rest was rather lank with the wet.

What he didn't know, was that she was just as caught as he was in the other's eyes. She had noticed before, but now she couldn't help but be aware of how _different _his eyes were from everyone else's here. They were a piercing brown, and seemed to miss nothing. But…they were also kind. She didn't understand how she knew this, she just did.

Suddenly, she could no longer hold back the question that had been bubbling in the back of her mind when they first started this conversation. "Do you like the rain?" she blurted, slightly embarrassed. Although, she didn't understand why she was.

This surprised him a little. Looking up at the sky, snippets of memory flashed by. He hadn't had the best childhood in Rukongai, but there were some things you couldn't forget. Like dancing in the rain.

Returning his gaze to the drenched Kasumi, he gave his lieutenant a smile to mirror her own soft one.

"Yes, I like the rain very much."

Kasumi's smile got bigger, and a slightly mischievous glint entered her eyes. "Good," she said, before jumping in the nearest large puddle, soaking the two even more.

Shuuhei rubbed his eyes while Kasumi just grinned, the happiest person in the world. She didn't even bother getting out of the puddle. "We look like drowned rats," she remarked cheerfully.

"I bet we do," her captain replied.

--

"We're here," Kasumi told Shuuhei. "Thanks for walking me home. Do you want to come in? You can dry off while I make some tea."

"Sure." With that, she let him in, showing him where the bathroom was and grabbing a towel for her hair.

While he was in the bathroom, Kasumi put on some water so that it would start to heat up. Then she went to her bedroom for a quick towel off and change. She emerged just as Shuuhei did, and just as the water boiled.

She ran past him in order to reach the kettle before all of the water evaporated, and he caught a whiff of her hair. It smelled like the air did before a storm, and she had taken it out of its low ponytail in order for it to dry easier.

Walking through the hallway, he reached the kitchen where Kasumi was busying herself with preparing the tea. "Is Oolong alright?" she called over her shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Good, cause that's all I've got."

He chuckled at this, while she brought him a cup of the steaming drink. She leaned on the counter and blew on her drink, allowing him his first good look at her since she had changed. Somehow, the fact that she was wearing a t-shirt and pants several sizes too large for her came as no surprise.

"Oh." Her eyes lit up. "Sorry, I forgot—do you want to change into something better than that? I think I have a couple of things that might fit you."

"Yes, thanks."

"No problem. Just clean them and return them later." She wandered off back to her room, and Shuuhei could hear her rummaging around.

"Here you go," she said when she returned, handing over the garments.

"Thanks again."

"Really, it's no trouble," she replied, amused. It was shocking how many of those t-shirts and pants she could fit into a duffle bag, along with regular sized clothes and everything else.

When Shuuhei was done changing himself, he came back to discover Kasumi busy looking through her refrigerator.

Hearing him approach, she glanced up. "Do you want to eat dinner here? Matsumoto's coming over to mooch in about an hour."

He found himself agreeing without even really knowing why.

--

**Okay, this was fun to write…and I know some of it was horribly cliché…but it fit. Sorry for the cliché-ness.**

**Please review! I have cookies!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: (clinging to Tite Kubo's leg) Pleeeeeaaaasssssse let me own it. Pleeeeeeeaaaaassssse. (Still refusing) Damn. Must try different tactics… I don't own. (Not yet…)**

**I love the reviews, guys. Thanks, a lot. Your encouragement helps me to write.**

**Time for anonymous replies:**

**I3Bleach: Thanks for your fun reviews, and I'm sorry I didn't get to answer them sooner. I liked writing the rain scene, so I'm glad that you liked reading it.**

**--**

"What are you cooking?" Shuuhei inquired, watching Kasumi's back from a safe distance. She didn't want him in the kitchen while she was working in it.

"Dunno. Do you want spaghetti or stir fry? I can do both."

"I vote stir fry!" a happy voice said _way _too close to her ear.

Matsumoto found herself having to dodge a well-thrown kitchen knife. "Don't sneak up on me! And when the hell did you get here?!"

"Just now!"

Shuuhei decided that it might not have been a good idea to follow along when Matsumoto made a shushing noise earlier. Kasumi had good aim. And a knife. Bad, bad combination.

Kasumi sighed at her neighbor's antics. She had nearly given her a heart attack. Said heart attack waiting to happen had flounced away into the living room, where she yelled, "You need a table!"

The foreigner twitched. "I'm not made of money! Didn't I tell you this yesterday?!"

Shuuhei made the wise decision to stay out of the way, while he watched Kasumi chop up some veggies with gusto. She was also muttering darkly to herself.

Matsumoto quietly snuck over to where Shuuhei was standing, making sure not to piss off her friend even more. Conspiratorially, she whispered, "Where does she get reflexes like that?"

He shrugged, but the question refused to leave his mind. "In my experience," he replied, keeping one eye on Kasumi, "one doesn't develop reflexes for anything unless it has happened before or if there was some sort of specific need for them." His gaze flicked to Matsumoto for a second. "And that's a bit scary."

Rangiku didn't push the issue, remembering the state of Kasumi's legs. The girl was a bit paranoid, but she probably had a good reason. Then again, the fact that the paranoia had a use also sort of disturbed her.

Sure, she had only met Kasumi the day before, but it didn't stop her from caring. She felt like she had known the girl for years. And, judging by how relaxed Shuuhei was, he seemed to feel the same.

Kasumi whipped her head around to stare at the two, making them feel cornered. Did she hear them talking? Their fears were assuaged when they heard, "Is chicken stir fry all right?"

They nodded vigorously, and—with a suspicious glance in their direction—Kasumi returned to her cutting board.

Matsumoto mused for a moment, before piping up, "The word paranoid doesn't fit her personality. Now, _Twitchy_, on the other hand…"

A twitch was all the warning the lieutenant got before a knife imbedded itself in the wall next to her left ear. "The comments from the peanut gallery are not amusing, nor are they welcomed." Calmly, Kasumi got out some semi-frozen yakisoba noodles and bashed them against the counter, breaking them in half.

Her neighbor and captain got the hint.

Unfortunately, Matsumoto was never one to listen to such things. Proof being how often she pissed off her captain. And she was on cloud nine—teasing Kasumi was even more fun than teasing Hitsugaya. He wouldn't actively try to kill her (most of the time) because he still held on to the thin hope that she would get some paperwork done—someday. Kasumi's reactions were funny and possessed a danger element. Enough said.

Shuuhei had more brains than that, or rather, he chose to use them. Realistically, he could probably take anything Kasumi dished out. On the other hand, he would not like to be poisoned by the food she was making.

Well, that…and the fact that no one had taken the chainsaw away from her yet.

--

"Shuuhei! Help me!" The Captain only stared blankly at his drinking buddy, who was currently pinned to the wall with a bunch of forks—the price for having tried to sample the food before it was done. At his lack of response, Matsumoto cried, "Why won't you help me?"

He thought that the reason was rather obvious. Kasumi was watching this exchange out the corner of her eye.

"She's giving me a free meal…" he started, trying to convey to his friend about his fear of getting poisoned. He messed it up, of course.

"What?! Are you trying to tell me that your stomach is more important than your friend?!"

He thought about it for a second. "…Pretty much, yeah."

Kasumi stopped paying attention, so that she didn't burn the food. Thus, she didn't notice that the other two had seen the small upward twitch of her mouth. Really, she didn't mind Matsumoto and her antics. In fact, she loved it. It made her feel like she was part of a family. This was also part of the reason why Arianri was still alive. Dead. Or…err…whatever. Thinking about it made her brain hurt.

Then again…

Matsumoto, in Kasumi's opinion, was actually worse than Arianri. She had no idea why she didn't mind the abuse, but it probably had something to do with being able to give it back. And, for some odd reason, she was irritated again.

Shuuhei and Matsumoto and shrunk back in terror when they saw the pulsing vein appear on Kasumi's head for no reason. Very, very scary.

Shaking her head, Kasumi blanked out her mind for the moment, and concentrated on turning the vegetables, noodles, and meat in her pan. While slightly burnt noodles were crunchy and tasty in her opinion, she felt that the others would disagree.

Man, her headache was getting bad…

…_Kasumi…_

She perked up, feeling her head twinge. "Hmm?"

Matsumoto (who had removed the forks with some help) and Shuuhei stared at her. "We didn't say anything," the lieutenant remarked, looking at the captain for confirmation. He shook his head.

Kasumi blinked, and then shrugged. Reaching to her left, she grabbed the thickening mixture she prepared earlier.

_Kasumi._

She frowned, as the pain in her head strengthened. _'Datenshi? Was that you?'_

The sword made a sleepy inquiry, making it rather clear that she had nothing to do with anything.

Turning off the stove, Kasumi dished the stir fry onto three plates and passed them out along with disposable chopsticks. Since she didn't have a table they all ate in the kitchen using the counters.

_Kasumi!_

A sharp lance of pain shot through her skull. Wincing a little, she set down her plate and hopped onto the counter, dangling her legs over the edge. She waved off the questioning glances from her friend and her captain. "It's just a headache," she explained. Thinking, she tried to figure out why that quiet voice calling her sounded so familiar, and she tried to place just why this was so.

As soon as she tried this, her head exploded with pain. Gasping a little, she put her head between her knees to try to lessen the throbbing. The edges of her vision swam with encroaching darkness.

This time, she could barely understand that whisper in the back of her brain. The waves of pain made it difficult to hear…the only clear part was her name.

_Kasumi! …a…e…p, Kasumi!! …is...n…t…e, KASUMI!!_

And then everything went dark.

--

_She could taste salt, and something else she wasn't able to identify. A gasp of air escaped her lips, giving her an even better taste. This time, she recognized the metallic flavour._

_Peering into the dark water around her, she could see the broken body on the seafloor, not even 10 feet away. Dark smudges floated up from it, but none of it reached her, for which she was thankful._

_But then, where was the taste coming from?_

_Glancing down, she tugged futilely at the barbed wire wrapped around her legs. It was the dark smudge rising from it that she had sampled._

_Blood._

_Frantically, she jerked her head upwards. __**No, no…not this again! This isn't real anymore!**_

_The little light that filtered down from the kelp was blotted out by many circling creatures._

_**This isn't where I die! This is a memory! **__She reached down, fingers scrabbling, trying to pull out the metal digging into her leg. Her fingers were heavy and slow in the salty water, and kept slipping on the barbs, cutting them._

_**THIS IS OVER!! MAKE IT STOP!! SOMEBODY!! ANYBODY!!**_

_**--**_

Kasumi's head snapped up, nearly colliding with Shuuhei's chin.

"You're awake!" Matsumoto cried, suddenly enveloping the girl in her Hug of Death. "Are you alright?!" When she didn't get a response, she only panicked and hugged her tighter. "Why aren't you answering me?! What's wrong?!"

Shuuhei rolled his eyes. "I don't think she can breathe, Rangiku."

"Oh!" The busty lieutenant realized her mistake and released Kasumi immediately. The poor girl inhaled and exhaled sharply a couple of times before catching her breath again.

"Are you okay?" Kasumi's captain asked her quietly. She managed to nod, not up to talking after the hug.

The other two let out a sigh of relief. When Kasumi had suddenly toppled off the counter and onto the floor, they weren't exactly sure what to do. Basically, they just panicked. Luckily, Kasumi had woken up after only a minute or so.

"What happened?" Matsumoto pressed, eyeing her friend with worry.

"I'm not sure. I had a massive migraine. I assume that the pain made me pass out."

Shuuhei was also looking at her with concern. "We should take you to Unohana."

Kasumi shook her head lightly, headache mysteriously gone. "No thanks, my head doesn't hurt anymore." They stared at her, and she felt a little cornered under the weight of their gazes. "Um…but…I'll go to see her anyway. Just to make sure nothing's wrong. Tomorrow."

They continued to stare for another minute. "No…that's all I'm going to concede…sorry."

Giving up, they decided that it was probably time for them to head home. After saying their goodbyes and walking out the door, Kasumi's tentative, fake smile that she had worn for them fell immediately. She didn't know what had just happened, or why, but she knew one thing for certain.

She didn't want to go to sleep.

--

**Sorry for the excessive amount of hilarity in the beginning. It was important, and I couldn't make Matsumoto stop. It just wrote itself in.**

**I'm super, super sorry for the late update, though! I was planning to update earlier this week, but I had a test to study for and a paper to write. I have no idea when the next chapter is going to come out, either. School is picking up the pace (took them long enough).**

**Please review! Or I'll let Yachiru cut your hair. I have brownies for reviewers, too!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: (Lawyers speaking) Since the authoress is too sick to move, having contracted a nasty case of the flu, we'll do the disclaimer for her. She does not, and never will, own Bleach or any of its characters.**

**Kasumi: I bet that she'll cry when she hears that. (Watches the authoress throw up in a corner) …On second thought, maybe I just won't mention it…poor girl…**

**Anonymous Replies Time (Kasumi recorded it.)**

**Dice: That is amazing. I didn't know that, and now I wanna try it out! But then again…I might be ordered to pay for a new microwave… Here's a brownie!**

**Kasumi: Yachiru says that she had fun with everyone's hair.**

**--**

Moving slowly, Kasumi tidied up the kitchen and her apartment, reluctant to sleep. It wasn't so much that she didn't want to sleep (since her body was demanding it rather clearly), she just…couldn't. The thought of dreams terrified her. She didn't want the dreams, whether they were good ones or not. Although, she had a feeling that there was a slim-to-none chance that she _wouldn't_ have a nightmare. Not after that blackout.

Finally, she couldn't deny it anymore; she needed to rest. That, and there was nothing left to clean in the apartment. She hadn't been living there long enough to dirty it up properly.

Crawling into her futon, she pulled the blankets up to her chin. After a little while of staring blankly at the ceiling, she realized, in a cruel moment of irony, that sleep just wouldn't come. From this angle, the room felt much larger than it really was.

She shuddered at the feeling that space invoked. Closing her eyes, she tried to will herself to sleep—to no avail. She could still feel the emptiness around her. Strangling her. Or—maybe that was the wrong word, she decided. The space made her feel very small, insignificant. And very, very lonely.

This was irrational—she knew—and Datenshi slumbered nearby, but she couldn't help it.

Wishing to escape that painful emptiness, she stood up and moved her futon towards one corner of her room. It felt a little better to have walls at her back.

Now she wished that Shuuhei and Rangiku had never left. Damn, she felt like an idiot, thinking that. Rangiku would have never let her live it down, had she asked. Rangiku was creative. She'd probably think of some horrifying way to embarrass her.

Before she knew it, she fell asleep.

--

All Kasumi could remember of her dream that night was the painfully empty, pure blue sky that dominated it.

--

The annoying alarm clock woke her up. Seriously, one of these days she was going to use it for kido practice. Groaning, she smacked the innocent machine into silence.

Reluctantly picking herself up, she took a shower and got dressed for work. When she walked out of her bedroom, though, she saw a certain neighbor sitting on her couch with a happy look on her face. Too late, Kasumi remembered that she still had to feed Matsumoto.

'_I wonder if I could smack her into silence, too…" _Kasumi wondered, still half-asleep.

Then she paused. "Wait a minute…" she muttered, giving her fellow lieutenant an extremely suspicious look. "How in Hell did you get in here? I'm sure I locked the door last night."

"Window!" Rangiku chirped, earning herself a whack upside the head.

"I'm pretty sure I locked those, too!" Kasumi yelled with a sweatdrop rolling down the back of her head. When Rangiku opened her mouth, Kasumi whacked her again. "On second thought, I don't want to know."

Rangiku shrugged as if it didn't matter at all. "Yeah, yeah. Feed me!"

Kasumi held back her murderous impulses quite well (but not well enough for her neighbor to escape unscathed).

--

After the two of them ate more pancakes than should be humanly possible, they left to attend to their big chore for the day. Leading 9th Division's morning training in this perpetual light drizzle was going to be unpleasant. Really, really unpleasant.

They didn't bother with telling their captains that they were behaving and doing what they were ordered to do after the chainsaw incident the day before. The squad members made good babysitters, as far as the captains and lieutenants were concerned. Kasumi and Rangiku would be tattled on instantly if they…failed…to…show up…yeah…that's what we'll call it…

But that didn't mean that they hadn't considered it.

Reaching the training grounds, they stopped and stared at the mud pit that lay before them. The day just got worse. After staring at the mud for a second, Matsumoto turned to her friend. "Hey, Kasumi? After this, can we go home?"

The foreigner nodded blearily. Not a good day. "Sure. We'll have to go back to the office in the afternoon, though."

"Feed me?" Matsumoto asked carefully with a hint of hopefulness. Unaware of what her neighbor had actually said, Kasumi nodded again. Inwardly, Matsumoto cheered.

Striding forward to get a closer feel for the size of the training grounds, Kasumi stood no chance at all when Matsumoto stuck out her foot. She tripped and fell face-first in the mud before she could even yell.

Nearby, the lieutenant of 10th Division was bursting at the seams with laughter.

Silently, and without removing her face from the mud, Kasumi reached out and pulled Matsumoto's legs out from under her. She toppled face-first into the muck as well.

Neither said anything as they sat up, the mud flowing down their faces. Facing each other, the two just sat there for a moment. Then they calmly started flinging mud-balls at each other.

--

"That looks like a full-scale ninja battle," Kanda Ryuu, 9th Division's fifth seat stated calmly, watching the spectacle before him. Indeed, this is what it looked like to the spectators who had come to actually train. There was an amazing variety of techniques being displayed, despite the fact that the two combatants were only using handfuls of mud and shunpo.

The fifth seat clenched his fist and his eyes sparkled, scaring the crud out of everyone else present—all of whom had lower rank, since the third seat and fourth seat currently had paperwork mountains to scale. "Yes!" he declared happily. "This is truly an educational experience! See the poise, the grace with which they fling the projectiles they have created out of only their surroundings! Truly magnificent!"

Everyone aside from Kasumi and Rangiku (who had _no_ idea that anyone else was even around) shuddered and took a couple of steps back. They knew that this guy was dramatic, but this was a whole new level to the weirdness.

And…oh dear gods, he was starting to make the air sparkle around him.

Soon, the spectators were all sobbing, for one reason or another. Ryuu was crying tears of joy, while the others were crying in fear.

_**Splat!!**_

There was a great pause from the onlookers. The air around Ryuu suddenly darkened considerably, as muck from a stray lob dripped down his face. Then he smiled happily at the 'invitation' and jumped into the fray.

Watching the now three-way battle, the rest of 9th felt a moment of indecision. They were certain they were going to be in a lot of trouble, but…

It looked like those three were having fun.

To Hell with the consequences.

They all joined in.

--

Sometime later, the full-scale mud war was interrupted with an ominous, "What is going on here, Lieutenant Matsumoto, Lieutenant Chimamire?"

The war came to a grinding halt with this simple, logical question. Immediately coming to attention, Matsumoto greeted, "Good morning, Captain Kuchiki!"

Following her neighbor's lead, Kasumi also greeted the Captain and his poker-face.

He blinked slowly, as if unaware of how to deal with such an unusual situation. Then again, something like this probably was outside of anything he had ever encountered before so no could really blame him for being a little shocked. "What is going on here?"

Kasumi, dripping head-to-foot with a mixture of mud, muck, sticks, leaves and other things, put on her best poker-face for the situation. "This is intensive evasion training, sir. This exercise allows for the honing of dodging reflexes important in combat with multiple Hollows. Since the mud stings when it hits, and is exceptionally difficult to remove from one's person, it is a successful deterrent to getting hit as well as being relatively non-lethal in nature," she stated with a completely serious tone of voice and expression.

Matsumoto did her best not to gape at that explanation. Luckily, she started to choke on a little mud she inhaled as a result, rendering her incapable of refuting what Kasumi said. When Byakuya looked at her for confirmation, she was nodding her head up and down in a serious attempt to dislodge a twig from her esophagus.

"Very well. Carry on, lieutenants," he finally relented, doing the intelligent thing and just walking away from the whole mess. Behind him, the war resumed full force.

Once he thought about it though, this did seem like an interesting new training method. Perhaps he could make his idiot of a lieutenant orchestrate something similar later…

However, on his way back to 6th Division, Byakuya ran into Shuuhei. Stopping, they greeted each other politely. "Your new lieutenant has discovered an interesting method of training your division members," the head of the Kuchiki clan remarked, intending it as a compliment towards Kasumi.

Shuuhei jumped a little at this statement. He wasn't sure why, but that casual statement filled him with unexplainable fear. "H-how do you mean?"

Turning to leave, the Captain of 6th waved goodbye over his shoulder. "Perhaps you should see for yourself. It is rather difficult to describe."

That did not assuage Shuuhei's fears in the slightest.

--

Once he reached the training field, all Shuuhei could do was stare. And stare.

Oh. Dear. Gods.

Those weren't people anymore. They were muck covered monsters. Yes, that was what they were.

Clearing his throat loudly, he waited for Kasumi and Rangiku to notice his presence. Having the acute sense of knowing when they were in trouble, the two took notice immediately.

For the second time, the war halted.

"Kasumi. Rangiku. Why—in Hell's name—"

The two flinched, expecting a reprimand.

"—didn't you invite me?!"

Mouths agape, the entire division looked on in astonishment.

"That looked like a lot of fun!" Shuuhei declared, feigning a hurt expression. Which was promptly covered up with mud.

Kasumi and Rangiku smiled sweetly at him. "There's your invitation," they cheered in unison, having thrown mud balls at him at the exact same time.

Calmly, Shuuhei wiped the offending substance away from his eyes. "Oh, now it's war."

--

**And, as a result, the Soul Society is scarred forever.**

**Just kidding.**

**Yeah, sorry for the late update. Things happened.**

**Yay, WINTER BREAK!! (Runs off into the sunset.)**

**Kasumi: I wonder if I should tell her that it's almost over already… On second thought, she'd cry. Please review for the poor girl.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry, everyone!! My laptop, which had all of my stories, contracted a virus. Not to mention classes…so I couldn't update.**

**Disclaimer: Why would I own Bleach? All that money from it would be gone in an instant anyway. Probably spent on manga. Or shiny things. Yes, THE SHINY THINGS.**

**(Kneeling, staring down at the ground.) I'm beat. I don't have much time to update anymore, since school started up again. Having two history classes in the early morning really isn't helping matters either…sulk…**

**Kasumi: Who is she talking to?**

**Datenshi: The bugs on the ground.**

**Kasumi: What, again?!**

**Datenshi: Yes. Again.**

**Kasumi: Well, at least it isn't a wooden post this time.**

**Datenshi: So true. The metal ones are worse though.**

**Kasumi: Why is that?**

**Datenshi: The wooden ones at least talk back.**

**Kasumi: …**

**Anonymous Reviews Replies Time!! Also known as A.R.T. (Yes, I'm ignoring the second R. I can do that. I'm that amazing.)**

**Lordsesshoumarusgf: Thank you, thank you!! I'm glad that you think so.**

**Lauren: Don't worry! I have no plans to abandon this! Thanks for the encouragement!**

**TO EVERYONE ELSE: I FRICKIN LOVE YOU ALL!!!**

--

Around noon, everyone was exhausted. This wasn't really a shock to any of them, considering the epic mud war had lasted three hours.

Kasumi stretched and tried not to yawn, lest she end up with a twig in her esophagus like Matsumoto. Glancing around, she raised an eyebrow at everyone's appearance. They looked more like the golems made of mud that she had seen in a movie when she was a child. (Strange how THOSE are the memories that stick through with you your entire life. And death.)

Shuuhei sneezed violently, as it was still drizzling and he was soaked with mud. "Alright," he yelled, "all of you should go home, take a shower, and eat something before going back to work. Because that's what I plan to do."

There were murmurs of assent throughout the crowd.

"Kasumi!" Matsumoto cried happily, plastering herself onto the object of her 'affection.' She was made happier by the choking noise she got in response. Really, human beings were the best toys! Their limbs could be made to move in almost any direction (and if you were determined, some that weren't normally possible), they come completely assembled and they make sounds when you jump on them. The perfect playthings. "What's for lunch?"

"Mmrglflerfin."

"Hmm?"

"I don't think she can breathe, Rangiku," Shuuhei provided helpfully. Matsumoto released her friend obediently.

Kasumi leaned over, supporting her upper half by placing her palms on her thighs. Wheezing, she tried to regain both air and blood flow to her brain. "Your breasts," she gasped, eyes slightly swirly, "cut off my carotid artery. I thought I was going to die. Is that their only purpose? To strangle people?"

Luckily, Matsumoto could hear the teasing tone in Kasumi's voice, so she didn't take any offense at the last couple of sentences. Instead, she decided to playfully go along with the idea. "But of course! My captain can attest to that! They don't really have any other use besides getting in my way."

'_And I bet Toushiro is eternally grateful for Kasumi's arrival,' _Shuuhei's zanpakuto added. Shuuhei sort of agreed. As much as the young Hitsugaya liked his lieutenant, there was only so much abuse the boy would be able to take before suffering from a burst blood vessel, an aneurism, or an ulcer. Frankly, it was shocking he'd never been hospitalized for any of those things—although Matsumoto still found ways to put him in Fourth Division one way or another. (Shuuhei could distinctly remember an instance where Matsumoto had collaborated with Yachiru and Nemu—forming the Unholy Alliance—for an experiment whose purpose was unclear to begin with. And no one was willing to ask afterwards…)

"Now, Kasumi…" Matsumoto's eyes gleamed dangerously. "About that lunch you promised me…"

The lieutenant in question acquired a deer-in-the-headlights look. "Lunch?" she asked tentatively. "What lunch?"

Matsumoto flapped her hand at Kasumi. "Don't you remember? On the way here you promised!"

Shuuhei raised an eyebrow at this. Kasumi mouthed, 'I don't remember anything like that.'

"What do you mean you don't remember?!" Matsumoto caught Kasumi in a headlock, being able to read lips well enough to understand the point. "Bad Kasumi! Bad!"

"Rangiku, she can't breathe."

Glancing at Kasumi, Matsumoto observed the flailing limbs of her suffocating friend. "Well this should be a lesson to not forget promises to friends, then!" Starting to walk off, she waved with her free hand at Shuuhei. "See you later! I swear I won't kill her!"

--

"So, what's for lunch?" Matsumoto asked her neighbor again, once they arrived.

"Leftovers," Kasumi grouched.

Matsumoto crossed her arms. "That's so boring!"

"Well, I don't feel very creative right now!" Kasumi's eye had developed a dangerous tic.

"STINGY!"

"GAAHH!! Quit tracking mud all over the floor!"

"But how else am I supposed to get inside?"

"Use your own shower! You know, in _your_ apartment?!"

"But you're going to track mud in too, I mean…"

"That's different!"

"You still need a table."

"GET OUT!!"

--

Two showers and one…eventful…lunch later, Kasumi and Matsumoto made their way back to their offices.

"See you later!" Kasumi called, parting ways with her friend. Opening the door, she greeted her captain.

"Hey," he replied, not looking up from his paperwork. He gestured vaguely in the direction of her desk. "If you get started now, you _might_ finish up by six," he joked.

Kasumi nodded. "Sure, thanks." She walked over to her piles, wondering how in the world her captain had managed to get back to the office before her. Sitting down, she stared blankly at the paperwork for a minute.

_Kill the paperwork…kill the paperwork…kill the paperwork…_ Datenshi chanted in her mind.

'_Kill the paperwork, kill the paperwork, kill the paperwork,'_ Kasumi agreed.

"No killing the paperwork." Kasumi's head whipped around faster than was humanly possible—Shuuhei was surprised it didn't snap. "I know that look," he explained. "I'm friends with Rangiku."

Kasumi gave him a reluctant nod; her neighbor didn't strike her as the diligent desk jockey type. Turning back to her work (that was just _begging_ to be set on fire) she was surprised by the sheet on top. It was an official request from Sixth Division to design a similar training exercise to the one she had unknowingly used—minus the mess. Apparently mud was not included in Byakuya's sense of aesthetics.

Looking at the signature, she got another small surprise. For someone who looked like he should be in the mafia, Renji had fairly good handwriting. Goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover.

She thought about the situation. What would give the same kind of evasion training and not be as messy? It hit her. Not only was it perfect for the situation, Renji and Byakuya would get a kick out using it. Writing carefully (since writing in a different language was a whole different thing than understanding it via a chip in the brain), she explained her idea.

—_**Lieutenant Abarai,**_

_**Try putting some plastic balls in a pitching machine and shooting them at the squad members. You could also use one of those machines that look like a leaf blower without the narrow end. Ask Lieutenant Kusajishi—who knows, she might actually have one.**_

—_**Lieutenant Chimamire**_

Smiling, she moved it to one corner of her desk and took all of the piles off of it so that she would have more room to work. The paper wouldn't be overly damaged if it had to sit on the floor for a few minutes.

Where the paperwork had been, Kasumi discovered a large desk calendar. Judging by its presence, she assumed that she was supposed to schedule her own obligations and her captain would tell her anything important that she needed to know.

Opening the top right drawer in her desk, she pulled out some tacks. Picking up the calendar, she stuck it to the wall behind her. "It's just going to get buried under paperwork, otherwise," she explained when Shuuhei gave her an odd look. He made an 'ah-ha' face and went back to his own mountains.

They worked quietly for about an hour. The only sounds were the few questions Kasumi asked, the swish of papers and brushes, and the clicking of staplers (an object Kasumi thought that she would _never_ see in this branch of Soul Society, actually). However, they were interrupted by the appearance of a hell butterfly.

"How in the world do those creatures get in and out of here without any open doors or windows?" Kasumi asked, giving the butterfly a skeptical look.

Shuuhei shrugged and held out his finger for the creature to sit upon while it relayed its message to him. He smiled at Kasumi. "It looks like you're having a busy week."

"I don't like the sound of that. Let me guess: I'm going to be here late tonight trying to finish all of this." She gestured to her slightly diminished work load, but Shuuhei's continued smile did not make her feel better. With a sinking heart, she fixed her statement. "I'm going to be behind on my first official day here, aren't I?"

Her captain withheld his laughter at her dismayed expression. After all, this was a serious matter. "A recon group discovered a nest of Hollows in the North Rukon District 49. Lieutenant Matsumoto has been dispatched along with some other Tenth Division members, but they're requesting assistance from another Lieutenant."

"That's a lot of Hollows if they're requesting help from another Division."

He nodded. "Ninth Division is closer to Tenth than Eleventh. Can you go?"

"Immediately, sir."

Turning back to the insect, he gave it a new order. "Find Lieutenant Matsumoto of Tenth Division. Inform her that Lieutenant Chimamire will meet up with the detachment from Tenth as soon as possible." The butterfly flew off Shuuhei's finger, and Kasumi opened the door for both of them to leave.

"Wait a second, Kasumi." She looked over her shoulder at her captain. "Good luck, and come back safe. I don't feel like searching for another lieutenant so soon!"

A smile tugged at the girl's lips. "I'll keep that in mind, sir." Shutting the door behind her, she used shunpo to get to the northern gate as soon as possible. She figured that since she didn't know her way around very well, she wouldn't try to intercept Matsumoto—that is, if Matsumoto wasn't already on site. Instead, Kasumi decided to head to the district in question. She probably had a greater chance of encountering the Hollows before Matsumoto, anyway.

Seeing the gate, she slowed to a normal run, not wanting to task her legs too much before the actual fight to come.

"Halt!" a voice boomed. Skidding a little bit, Kasumi did so. That's when the guardian of the gate appeared before her. She had no idea that there were people that _large_. "I am the guardian of the Black Ridge Gate, Danzoumaru!" the dark-skinned giant announced. "State your purpose!"

Kasumi blinked. The gate wasn't automatic? "I am Lieutenant Chimamire of Ninth Division. Lieutenant Matsumoto requested my aid in eliminating a Hollow nest."

A relieved expression appeared on the man's face. "That's a bit of good news! I've already had to open the gate for some injured from that very mission. Here, let me open it for you."

Turning away, he huffed and puffed while lifting the heavy gate.

"Don't bother opening it all the way!" Kasumi shouted, sliding underneath the narrow space. "It seems to be pretty heavy! Thanks a lot, Danzoumaru!"

"Don't mention it! Just help them out!"

Sensing her neighbor's battling reiatsu, Kasumi shunpoed over there as fast as she could.

**--**

**Yes, I AM going to leave you there. I am evil.**

**I actually had to look back at older chapters of Bleach in order to get the name for the guardian of the northern gate! (Don't worry; Jidanbou will be the guard that Kasumi deals with most of the time. I like the axe-nut too much not to include him!)**

**Unfortunately, my laptop's internet still isn't working, so I'll be using my mother's crappy computer to update. So that will also add some delay…I'll try to update within a few weeks! Sorry!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I have more of an interest in pursuing politics (which give me a nasty headache) as a career than drawing or writing manga. Fanfiction being a completely different story. So, I don't own Bleach or any of its characters.**

**My…computer…stopped again…and my mother's computer caught the same virus as my laptop (sulk). I'm sorry…and then the new quarter started…and then my computer got fixed…and then my email stopped working…I had to search for a job…and read lots of books for my classes…my email stopped working again…and finally get ready to graduate from high school next week. I took a fiction writing class as well, and have been writing my own original stories. I've been BUSY.**

**Sorry, everyone. But (sob) thanks for everything! I loved all of your wonderful reviews! Thanks so much!**

**--**

Kasumi didn't even bother to navigate the twisting streets of Rukongai. The rooftop highway was much more effective and cut back on travel time. Not to mention that the mucky surface of the ground would slow her down somewhat. She rethought her decision when she slipped on one particularly slick roof, regaining her balance by quickly jumping to a different roof.

Pausing for a second, she closed her eyes and searched for Matsumoto's reiatsu. Frowning when she discovered its weak flame, she opened her eyes again and took off toward an empty field nearby. As soon as her feet touched mud, she drew Datenshi, the blade making a wonderful ringing noise.

At the other side of the field, Kasumi could see her friend huddled over another person's body. Both of them were caged by a smoky grey substance that kept moving around.

_That is Haineko_, Datenshi relayed. _She is protecting her wielder and the wounded._

'_Thanks,'_ Kasumi replied. "Rangiku!" she called. "Are you alright?"

_Hit the deck!_ Datenshi yelled.

Obeying, Kasumi felt the breeze of a missed attack over her neck. Not even looking, she quickly rolled and swung Datenshi. She was rewarded with resistance against her blade and a spatter of blood hitting her arms. The Hollow roared, falling on its stump of a leg.

The sword pulsated. With it, Datenshi's presence inside of Kasumi's mind twisted. _Blood! This is more like it! Kill! Kill! __**KILL!!**_

Rolling backwards into a crouching position, Kasumi ignored the zanpakuto. After all, if the target was a Hollow, she was more than happy to give the sword what it wanted. Springing forward, she speared the Hollow's mask straight through. As the creature disintegrated, Datenshi made a displeased noise at the lack of blood.

The zanpakuto wasn't displeased for long, as a swarm of Hollows suddenly appeared and Kasumi was forced to hack left and right just to keep from being overwhelmed. _'It's rare for Hollows to mob like this! No wonder Rangiku had problems!'_

_Don't care, just slice! Spill it! Spill that crimson liquid! Flay them open so I can see their insides! Turn the ground red! _Datenshi's yelling was beginning to annoy Kasumi.

Spinning, she finally made it to where Matsumoto was, and ducked through an opening in Haineko's defense. She sat down heavily next to her neighbor, setting Datenshi down (much to the zanpakuto's dismay). "Shit. No wonder you needed backup."

Matsumoto gave Kasumi a wan smile before concentrating again on the person she was trying to heal. "You came at a great time. I can't defeat the Hollows and heal at the same time—I can only defend while healing. How many can you take care of in ten minutes?" When she didn't get a response, she glanced at her friend. "Kasumi?"

The lieutenant was staring transfixed at a puddle of water on the ground between them. Her eyes were blank, and gazing at something only she could see. It made the hairs on the back of Matsumoto's neck rise. And then she saw the red gash on Kasumi's arm, dark blood leaking into the puddle and swirling around in complicated patterns. "Kasumi, your arm's bleeding!"

That snapped the girl out of her trance. "Ah?" She looked at her left arm. "So I am. Guess I'll need to visit Fourth, later."

A couple of Hollows rammed Haineko, cutting themselves to ribbons. They screamed and disappeared while the rest of the nest looked on at the shinigami. They were waiting patiently.

"Can you stop all those from attacking for ten minutes?" Matsumoto repeated, sweat running down her brow. "Heisuke's injury is going to take at least that long to finish sealing. He's losing too much blood for me to leave him."

"Yeah. That I can do." She stood up, muck dripping from her hair and backside. Glancing at Datenshi (who by this point had calmed down again), she reviewed her reserves of reiatsu. She had enough for ten minutes of intense fighting.

_Water coming. Lots of it,_ Datenshi informed her.

True to Datenshi's statement, the little sunlight that was there disappeared. Thunder rolled in the distance. The world turned darker again.

Nodding to Matsumoto, Kasumi prepared herself to fight the instant she stepped out of Haineko's protection. Seeing a gap open up, she raced through it, already releasing her zanpakuto. "Feast, Datenshi Ekibyougami!!"

The weapon glowed bright silver before complying with Kasumi's wishes. Elongating and widening, the blade curved slightly. The regular guard disappeared, replaced by a rivet from which more metal grew down and then back, attaching to the rear of the handle but leaving space between the handle and blade. Finally, a notch grew at the bottom of the sword's tip, creating a twin to the sharp edge.

Datenshi screamed happily at her being released. _Kill them all, kill them all!_ The sword laughed hysterically. _Leave none for Haineko! They're all mine! Stain the ground and water with their blood! I want to see how red a Hollow's blood flows!_

Holding the grip with both of her hands, Kasumi twirled the weapon, slicing a Hollow that had rushed in. Its forearm cut, it temporarily retreated, blood dripping.

_Now that's more like it!_

The Hollow that had first attacked Kasumi leapt for her back, its leg having regenerated already. Swinging Datenshi, Kasumi lopped off its other leg, the force from the swing leaving her off balance. Instead of righting herself, Kasumi kept moving behind that swing, making a full-circle and chopping into the backside of another Hollow.

That's when they all swarmed.

Keeping with her body's natural rhythm, Kasumi didn't fight with any normal sword fighting technique. She just allowed for her body to move the way it wanted to when swinging and compensated for the openings caused by the blade with kicks at the Hollows.

'_What the hell kind of style is that?!' _Matsumoto thought, the wound on the injured man's chest nearly closed. _'You could hurt your teammates, swinging that wildly!'_ Then she noticed something odd about the first Hollow Kasumi attacked. It had the regeneration ability, but its leg wasn't growing back like it should. In fact, the bleeding wasn't stopping, either. None of the Hollows' injuries were healing. That's when it clicked for Matsumoto. The release word for the zanpakuto had said it all.

The sword was…_eating_ the reishi the Hollows were made of.

To prove it, there were even sections of turf missing where the zanpakuto had touched it. After all, _everything_ in the Soul Society was made of reishi.

Sweat beading on her brow, Kasumi wondered if Matsumoto was done yet. A thin flash of icy fire shot up her back. Hissing, she drove Datenshi through the mask of the Hollow that had slashed her. While it was effective, this way of fighting was not the most user-friendly. It didn't create as much strain to the muscles, but it created a lot of openings.

Suddenly, the Hollows all fell, blood gushing from their sliced masks. Once they disintegrated, Kasumi was able to see Haineko returned to her sealed form at Matsumoto's side. Lowering Datenshi, the new lieutenant sighed heavily.

_That's not fair! I wanted to kill them!_

"Shut up, Datenshi," Kasumi growled out loud, returning the zanpakuto to its normal state and sheathing it.

"Wow," Matsumoto called, hoisting her injured squad member on her back. "I didn't know you were such a tank in battle."

"How the hell do you know what a tank is when you didn't even know what a chainsaw was?"

--

**Sorta short, but hey! It's here!**

**I gotta go now, I'll try to update again soon. (Although we all know how that promise usually turns out with me.)**

**Review! Or…I'll tell Ikkaku that you called him bald and then point him in your general direction. Bye bye!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Summer break is over, but I'm kind of looking forward to school again. I can do anything I want, including owning Bleach!! (Receives glares from lawyers) Okay, go right ahead, ruin my fun! See if I care! I don't own Bleach. (And it should be illegal to get this much homework the first week! Ha! Stupid lawyers!)**

**I feel…so loved…I can't believe I got so many reviews…I LOVE YOU ALL!!**

**A.R.T.!!!**

**Lauren: Thanks for the compliments! Homicidal is a good word to describe Kasumi. And you're the same? That's awesome! Thanks again!**

**sam: I will take those suggestions into consideration. They may end up in the extras section someday…**

**Emb: Thanks! I think I mentioned at the beginning that the formal is in one month, so it isn't too far away. The tattoo will be revealed shortly, I promise. I'm so happy that you actually read my author's notes and disclaimers. It takes me a while to come up with good disclaimers. Because I want to laugh at them, too. Chainsaws ARE wonderful inventions, aren't they?**

**Nikki Devonation: Thank you for your wonderful words! I can't think of anything I can say that would express my gratitude properly…**

**

* * *

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"Are you sure you don't need any help, Rangiku?" Kasumi asked as they flashed through Rukongai. "He looks heavy." She pointed with her chin to the injured member of Tenth. "Besides," she eyed Matsumoto instead, "you didn't escape unscathed, either." Kasumi could count at least three long cuts on her friend.

Matsumoto merely laughed at the younger woman. "Really? Look at yourself! You could open up your own blood bank account!"

The foreigner blinked at this. "There are some holes in your knowledge of the Living World." Kasumi shook her head. "I think you're confusing two different concepts…"

The Lieutenant of Tenth Division was quick to defend herself. "No way! I learned a lot from Orihime's manga!"

Kasumi blinked. "M-manga? That's where you learned…? Just what are you reading that would involve tanks and blood banks?!"

"Well," Matsumoto edged around the question, "I also learned a lot from shopping…"

And here the poor transfer girl had to think really hard about how you could learn those kinds of things from shopping. She wasn't able to figure it out, and felt that it was better not to ask her friend to clarify. Besides, they were already at the gate.

"Ho!" Matsumoto called. "Danzoumaru! Open up! I think it's going to rain!"

The guardian appeared at the shout. "Well, well! Still alive, I see." He paused, staring at Kasumi for a second. "And you look much worse than you did when I saw you an hour ago."

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Matsumoto yelled. "I'm injured too!" She fumed at the amused looks on Danzoumaru and Kasumi's faces. But after a second, she became serious. "Seriously, though, Heisuke's going to need a bit better medical attention than I can give him. I don't want his wound to reopen."

It was right then that the clouds decided to relieve their burden of water. Not in a drizzle, either, but in a torrent, as if someone was up in the clouds dumping bucket after bucket of rain down on them.

Danzoumaru, also hoping to get some respite from the water, quickly opened the gate for the shinigami to pass through. Everyone was soaked through by the time the gate was high enough for them to pass under.

Feeling a stinging sensation on her back and arms, Kasumi realized that her cuts had started to bleed again. She worried about the one on her back; she couldn't tell how deep it actually was but the pain told her that there was a healing in her immediate future.

Next to her, Matsumoto swore viciously. Glancing over, Kasumi saw a darker patch on her friend's black uniform. Heisuke's wound had, indeed, reopened as Matsumoto had feared.

"Go ahead of me," Kasumi told her. "I don't feel like running, but he needs decent medical attention. I'll walk after you and catch up." Matsumoto gave her neighbor a worried look. "Besides," Kasumi added, shrugging a little, "I need to talk to my zanpakuto. It'll be a bit hard to do that with a lot of people around."

Matsumoto nodded her assent. "Alright, but you had better not dawdle too long! I don't want you to lose too much blood and faint! I'll be held responsible if that happens." She blinked. "In fact, if you die, please do inside one of the other divisions' buildings! Less paperwork for me, that way."

Kasumi laughed. "Not that you do your paperwork in the first place."

"It's a matter of office aesthetics. Paperwork towers are not visually appealing."

"Don't worry, I'll only be a few minutes longer," Kasumi replied, still laughing.

With that, the transferee watched the other blonde take off.

_You lie._ Datenshi's voice echoed in Kasumi's mind.

'_Yes,'_ Kasumi responded, striding over to a raised platform that was under the cover of a nearby building. _'How do you think she would have reacted if she'd known my legs were screaming in pain? Her squad member getting help is a bit more important than my need to rest a while.'_

Datenshi sent waves of irritation at her wielder. _Even if you had told her, she would have suggested the same course of action you are taking now._

'_Ah, but then she would have worried, no?'_ Kasumi sat down on the wooden platform, taking the weight off of her legs.

_Fool!_ Datenshi admonished. _She worries now!_ The zanpakuto started to growl at Kasumi. _If you are seriously that dense, you deserve to be skewered on a Hollow's horn! Cease your foolery, or I will drown you myself and consume your corpse!_

Kasumi flinched badly. Her entire body quivered a little, though mostly due to the influence of the rain and cold than fright. When Datenshi said, 'drown,' she couldn't help but think of her waking terror…had it only been the night before? Time seemed to drag out here.

Datenshi huffed indignantly. _Were you even paying attention to what I was saying?_

Apparently Kasumi had missed something else the zanpakuto had said.

_Never mind; it wasn't that important anyway. You should go to the Fourth Division now. Get your head checked while you're at it, you basket case!_

Getting up obediently, Kasumi started to shunpo the rest of the way to the healing division. And not for the first time, she wondered just what it was her sword felt towards her.

It was as if the weapon had split personalities: one that was almost overprotective to the point of obsession, and another that seemed like it would be more than happy to obliterate the fact that Kasumi ever existed in the first place.

Datenshi did not intend to tell Kasumi anything, either.

* * *

When she arrived at Fourth Division, Kasumi tapped gently on the doors of the main infirmary instead of just barging in. There was no answer, but she went inside, anyway. If they didn't want mud on their floor, then it was tough shit. She had knocked.

The sight that greeted her reminded her very much of normal waiting rooms in hospitals and clinics in the World of the Living. The main room of the infirmary was quite large; she thought it could probably hold at least twenty people comfortably. There were waiting chairs all lined up together, and even a small couch in a corner with a little table. An L-shaped desk was pushed up against another corner, and there was a young man sitting behind it.

And it was warm. Very warm.

The nervous-looking fellow behind the desk glanced up at Kasumi's arrival. "Oh, hello," he greeted quietly.

"Hello," Kasumi replied, feeling at ease for some reason. Maybe because this was an infirmary with healers. "Do you know where Lieutenant Matsumoto went? I'm supposed to meet up with her."

"Ah, right this way…?"

"I'm Chimamire Kasumi. Nice to meet you."

He nodded in return. "I'm Yamada Hanatarou. Nice to meet you, too." Hanatarou then glanced worriedly at Kasumi. "Um…don't you want to be healed, first?"

Kasumi flapped her hand in a dismissive gesture. "I promised Rangiku I'd meet up with her. I'll get it healed afterward."

"Alright. Well, here you are."

She smiled at him. "Thanks! See you later!" she waved over her shoulder while entering the room. "Hey, Rangiku," she whispered once she was inside, careful not to disturb the man on the bed.

Matsumoto brightened and gave Kasumi a small wave. Getting up from her seat, she left the room along with her friend. "He's doing good; Isane says he needs a couple of days rest but then he'll be as good as new and back to skipping work."

"Just how many slackers are there in your division?"

"Intentional slackers?" Kasumi nodded. "Hmm…including me, there's four just among the seated and unseated officers. I don't actually know about any others. My Captain doesn't get much work done, even though he tries to. I keep him too busy."

Kasumi could imagine that last part all too easily. Poor Hitsugaya. "He chases you around a lot, does he?"

The other blonde nodded, with a solemn expression on her face. "I know. He's still thinks that if he yells at me enough, I'll do my paperwork."

"I feel sorry for him. I really do."

"You shouldn't! He does it of his own free will."

Kasumi wondered about that. Matsumoto could be wrong, or she could be completely right. Thinking logically, Hitsugaya should know that it does no good to chase after his wayward lieutenant. On the other hand, he may be obligated to because he was the captain. There was just no way of really knowing (Hitsugaya himself probably didn't know).

There was a brief moment of silence while they both thought about it.

"Well, we should get ourselves checked out, too," Kasumi said, switching topics. "We're a bit of a bloody mess." Indeed, both looked a bit worse for wear, what with dripping water, blood, and mud onto the floors.

"Yeah," Matsumoto agreed. "Come on, I think I know which way Isane went." Kasumi trailed after the other blonde, limping slightly.

However, down the next corridor they stopped in their tracks. Loud growls were emanating from one of the rooms. Suddenly, a man inside yelled, "Bastard! This is all your fault!"

"I fail to see how any of this is my problem, let alone my fault," a low voice spoke flatly.

"If you weren't such a damn showoff, then I wouldn't be in this stupid bed!"

"I do not see how my performing the kido correctly could in any way be related to your complete and utter failure to perform the most basic of tasks."

"Yeah!" a third, this time female, voice chimed in. "You're even worse than a garbage bug!"

"What was that?! Don't make me get out of this bed!"

"Trash shouldn't make threats it can't carry out."

There was an incoherent scream from the supposedly injured man.

Matsumoto and Kasumi were just barely able to contain their laughter as Captain Unohana brushed by and entered the room in question. The two lieutenants couldn't see who the people inside were, but they were wearing the Academy's uniform.

After a minute Unohana came back out, shutting the door behind her. Smiling, she turned to the blondes. "Well, let's get you two to your rooms then, shall we?" She eyed them critically for a moment. "Since you appear to be bleeding less, Lieutenant Matsumoto, Isane will see you in this room." At the captain's gesture, Matsumoto left.

"This way, Lieutenant Chimamire." Kasumi followed the captain to another room down the hall. It was pretty much barren, with just a bed, a chair, and a doctor's stool. "Kindly sit on the bed, as it will be slightly easier to clean," Captain Unohana instructed.

Doing as she said, a thought occurred to Kasumi. "Oh, Captain? Would you happen to know how to get mud out of a carpet? Rangiku tracked a lot of into my apartment…"

* * *

Datenshi was sulking a bit. While it annoyed her that Kasumi hadn't listened to her lecture all the way through, she was actually glad that Kasumi hadn't heard that last bit. Very glad. Because Datenshi had regretted it the instant she'd said it.

_You were abandoned! Left to die! Reflect on the reasons and tell me why! Perhaps then you will learn!_

* * *

**(See if you can't guess who the Academy students were!)**

**SUMMER BREAK!! WHERE DID YOU GO?! (Runs off into the sunset) My eyes! They burn!**

**Kasumi: Vampire.**

**Me: Shut it. Not a vampire. Just don't like sun.**

**Datenshi: …Vampire.**

**Me: …Oi…don't make me hurt you…I do not sparkle…**

**Kasumi: If you did, you would like sun more.**

**Datenshi: Magpie.**

**Me: …So I like shiny things. What of it?**

**Kasumi: The extent to which you like the shiny things is disturbing. In many ways.**

**Me: …Review time now.**

**Datenshi: Don't change the subject… (!) Stop running away! Get back here!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Most of the time, I just want to smack the Bleach characters upside the head. If I did own them, I would make them a little less smackable. Maybe.**

**Wow. My last update was when summer break was ending, and this update is …really, really late. Although, I do have an excuse. My laptop broke again. Three times. Now I can't type on it…**

**Reached the 100 reviews mark! (Starts dancing.) I love all of the support I get from you guys. I truly, truly do. Threats to update are encouraging in their own way.**

* * *

If Unohana thought Kasumi's previous question regarding mud and carpets was odd, she didn't show it. Instead, she replied candidly. "Wait until it dries, and then scrub the spots with towels, wetting it some if necessary."

"I'll do that. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure. Now, here is a change in attire, and there are towels under the bed. I will leave for a moment while you change. It wouldn't be good if you became ill from this rain, so we should use this opportunity to do a full check-up and to review your charts which your mother kindly sent us last night."

Kasumi wondered just how her mother had gotten back to the American Branch so quickly. _'Someone probably hunted her down and shanghaied her back to work,'_ Kasumi concluded. "Ill from the rain? A cold isn't that big of a deal," she shrugged.

Unohana shook her head. "It weakens your body and you become more susceptible to bacterial infections. During the first three days, you are also contagious."

Confused, Kasumi blinked rapidly, trying to process this. "First three days? I can't ever recall having a cold for that long…"

* * *

There was a quiet knock on the door. "Come in!" Kasumi called, fixing the last little part on the white garment. The Fourth Division Captain reentered the room holding two ominous-looking file folders. "I really like these!" Kasumi commented, gesturing to her new apparel. "These are much better than the ones in America!"

Unohana blinked slowly, as if trying to process this comment. "Thank you, although I did not design them. What are the ones in America like?" She sunk down onto her doctor's stool, still far more elegant and graceful than Kasumi could ever hope to be.

Kasumi shuddered at the memories that Unohana's question invoked. "They cover the front fairly well, and go down to mid-calf, but…" she trailed off, a small amount of red dusting her cheeks. "…The hospital robes fasten in the back, but they either never stay closed, or the Velcro isn't there to begin with…"

The captain smiled. "I suspect that leads to many embarrassing situations."

Kasumi merely grumbled something about not wanting to see old-man-ass.

Suddenly, the air came alive with sound. Kasumi froze and just listened to the music drifting across the door's threshold. It sounded so…familiar…as if…

"Oh," Unohana turned to gaze at the closed door as if she could see through it, "He's playing again."

It was Kasumi's turn to blink in surprise. "Isn't this…um…" she wracked her brain for a moment, "…Beethoven's _Moonlight Sonata_?"

"You are familiar with the piano?"

Kasumi frowned heavily. "No, not at all. I've always been somewhat…musically challenged. I can't read sheet music at all, don't recognize most songs, nor can I even sing in tune or in the right key. I've been told my singing sounds like several dying cats in heat." She spoke the last part with a sort of rueful expression on her face.

"Then what makes this song so special?" Unohana opened up the file on top and idly thumbed through it while listening.

The girl frowned even deeper, if that was even possible. In her mind, she was chasing cobwebs of memory: delicate, almost insubstantial things that fell apart at the lightest touch. She felt like she could almost grasp them, but she only received bits and pieces of something bigger.

_**Someone important. Someone very, very important. Hints of music at the farthest edge of perception. Someone playing a piano. A feeling of warm contentment. Not happiness, just the feeling that things might just be all right.**_

That was all she got.

"I don't remember ever hearing this song before; I know I have, but I just can't recall…" She shook her head to clear it of the lingering cobwebs. Kasumi wasn't used to having to track down memories. Normally they came whether she wanted them to or not. "But…it was important, I know it was." She tapped the side of her head and closed her eyes, willing the answers to appear. They didn't.

Unohana just smiled at her. "You shouldn't worry overmuch about it. The fact that you remember anything at all from your life is quite remarkable enough. The process of dying is rather traumatic and memories tend to suffer the most from the experience. Memory loss is completely normal." She made a note in one of the charts.

The blonde woman frowned. She understood that this was the case, but she still didn't like it any. By now the song had faded. She hadn't even noticed, since it kept playing in her head. "Who was playing?"

"An Academy student. His friend often ends up in here, so he visits and plays that old piano sometimes. You saw me with them earlier. I'm not sure where he learned to play, though." The Captain reached out her hand and Kasumi absentmindedly put her arm in it. "It won't be too long before they graduate. Perhaps one of them will join Ninth."

"Why do you even have a piano in the infirmary?" Kasumi wondered while Unohana rolled back the sleeve and studied the long slash.

"Some of the calmer patients enjoy listening to it occasionally. I've found that it promotes sleep as well." She stood up and grabbed some bandages from a cupboard and a suspicious brown bottle. "This one isn't so bad, but I need to disinfect it." Kasumi's eyes widened in horror. "Yes, it will sting a bit."

* * *

In the end, only a couple cuts required actual healing.

Stepping back, Unohana gave Kasumi a glance-over, checking for anything she missed. "You seem fairly hale and hearty, so I'm sure that everything will heal quickly." She paused and Kasumi waited for the 'but' that was sure to follow. "I think you should stay the night in the infirmary despite this. Calm and quiet do wonders for the healing process."

'_Is she not aware of the fact that I live alone?' _Kasumi asked her zanpakuto.

_Maybe she just knows who your neighbor is, _Datenshi replied.

Unohana was still putting things away. "Also, you may catch a cold if you go outside again. I will have your uniform laundered and repaired so that you can leave in the morning." Her tone left no room for argument, so Kasumi just nodded numbly. "This way."

Following obediently, the lieutenant glanced around at the walls and closed doors. Suddenly, she remembered the promise she made to her captain and friend the previous night. Peering at Fourth Division's captain, she cleared her throat nervously. "Um…I've been having massive headaches lately. Is that…?" She couldn't think of a way to finish.

"Headaches? How long have you had them?"

"Just a couple of days."

"They could have been brought on by the stress of moving to a new place, but…" The captain looked at the other woman with slight worry, "Tell me immediately if they get really bad or if they continue for much longer."

Kasumi nodded vigorously, glad to be done with the issue.

_Um, hello? What about that episode last night? You know, where you heard voices other than me in your head and passed out? And had that…freaky waking dream?_ Datenshi pointed out, annoyed.

'_Butt out of it. Besides, weren't you sleeping at the time?'_

The sword didn't comment.

"You'll be staying in this room." The captain's voice jolted Kasumi back to reality. "You will have a roommate as well, but you can draw the curtain for privacy."

She left without saying anything else, and Kasumi gave a halfhearted wave in the general direction of the retreating woman.

Opening the door, Kasumi stared inside for a moment. And then she shut it and started walking away.

Door flying open, Matsumoto grabbed her neighbor by the scruff of her hospital robe and dragged her back. "Oh no you don't. You and I are going to have girl-bonding time!"

Choking on the white clothing, Kasumi couldn't even utter a protest.

Once inside, Matsumoto shut the door and released her friend. "First of all," she put her hands on her hips, "you will strip."

Kasumi stared at Matsumoto as if she'd gone mad.

"I want to see the damage!" The Tenth lieutenant paused. "And your tattoo!" she added as an afterthought.

Narrowing her eyes, Kasumi growled, "I can see your true intentions in that last statement."

Shrugging, her friend's eyes lit up in a frightening manner. "Doesn't matter! You will strip!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"YES!" Matsumoto lunged for Kasumi, who tried desperately to get away. "Striiiiiiiiip," Matsumoto growled again. "I want to seeeee…" Kasumi's yelps were only egging the curious woman on.

The door opened suddenly making the two freeze in their tracks, robes half-undone.

Shuuhei stared at the scene before him, not sure how to process it. "I'll come back later…" he decided, turning around.

Kasumi screamed in frustration.

Maybe the headaches and nightmares really were stress after all.

* * *

Unohana stared at the chart before her, rereading it for the fifth time. She didn't like lying to patients, especially one as serious as Kasumi, but sometimes it had to be done.

* * *

**Whoo Hoo! Finished at long last! And really late at night too…I'm sensing a pattern…**

**While rereading my earlier chapters, I realized (with much embarrassment) several errors. If they bug anyone, please tell me and I'll try to fix them. Thanks!**

**Once again, really sorry for the slow update. I promise to try harder!**

**Please review. After all, they light the fire under my ass and force me to write.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I'm really running out of ideas for these. I do not own Bleach or its characters.**

**Sorry for the late update. Mom broke our internet, and I lost my memory stick that had everything on it, including my homework. I found it recently, though, so I'll try to type out a couple of chapters quickly.**

**I found all of your death threats to be extremely encouraging. So thank you everyone!**

**A.R.T.**

**rukia23: Oh yes, ominous indeed. (Insert evil laugh here)**

**needtoknow: Thanks a lot! I feel the death glare…**

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Clawing her way across the wooden floor to her futon—an action made very difficult by Rangiku, who was gripping her legs with an almost vicious tenacity—Kasumi feared that she would undo the healing she had received earlier. Attempts to dislodge her fellow lieutenant by kicking her were proving to be useless as Rangiku only clung harder, forcing Kasumi's legs to lock. "Can't you let go? I would rather get in bed and rest than start bleeding again!"

Smiling mischievously, the other blonde woman refused to give in easily. She was well aware that her weight was keeping Kasumi from doing anything significant to get away. "Oh? Are you sure you don't just want to avoid another awkward situation? Or maybe you just don't want your _Captain _to see?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kasumi grit out. Her mind raced, trying to think of a way to get her friend to let go—of both the matter and her limbs.

"Don't lie to me, Kasumi! I can see right through you!"

Using Datenshi was out of the question. The sword's hilt was digging painfully into her hip, as she was partly lying on the weapon and unable to even flip onto her other side. Besides, it would be rather difficult to hack at the offender while on the ground.

Rangiku wasn't quitting. "Is the tattoo that embarrassing? Or is it because of your robe's current state? Oh ho! You really do think he will see something!" Kasumi practically hissed in response. "I'm right, aren't I? Are you blushing? Yes you are!"

"My face is red with exertion!"

"Big word for such a quick denial!"

_No more fatty foods for you, _Datenshi joined in on the teasing. _Your blood pressure is through the roof as it is—no need to invite a heart attack as well. Although, given your age, you might only get an ulcer._

Stress was definitely the problem. It couldn't possibly be anything else.

"You aren't denying it anymore!"

"I get the feeling that nothing I say will convince you otherwise!"

Datenshi and Rangiku sniggered in unison.

'_I can't believe they're double-teaming me,'_ Kasumi growled to herself. _'Did they plan this out in advance or something?'_

_That is rather paranoid of you, _the zanpakuto commented. _Maybe you need to see a shrink?_

'_Sure, and I'll tell them to give me meds to get rid of the annoying voice in my head while I'm at it.'_

…_You wouldn't dare._

'_Try me.'_

Kasumi thought about some movies she'd seen. Maybe the army crawl would give her more purchase on the floor? That could work.

When Rangiku saw that they were starting to move forward, she had to come up with a new plan. Using Kasumi's legs as a lever, she flipped them both onto their backs. At Kasumi's yelp of surprise, Rangiku quickly stood up, holding onto her friend's ankles. Walking forward, she felt satisfied with how easily she could drag the surprisingly light woman across the floor. "Ha ha! Brute force will not work against me. You cannot escape your fate!" She had seemingly forgotten the original reasoning behind her actions, and was more than content to just drag her friend around the room with no particular destination in mind.

In the meantime, Kasumi was desperately trying to keep her robe from riding up by pulling the fabric back down as fast as she could. Unknowingly, she made a distressed noise when her efforts barely made a difference. This only made Rangiku pull Kasumi around the room faster.

"I give! I give! Just let me go!" Kasumi yelled, clutching the white fabric of her robes with all her might.

"Okay!" Rangiku immediately dropped Kasumi's feet. She watched in amusement as Kasumi scrabbled back to her futon as fast as she could. "So when do I get to see the tattoo?"

"Not today. I'll show you some other time."

"AWW! You're so cheap!" Rangiku pouted.

Glaring at her, Kasumi pulled the covers above her chin. "Indeed."

Feeling cheated, the other woman went back to her own futon in defeat.

Rubbing her back, Kasumi winced. "I think you gave me—" she paused in mid sentence. "…I _would_ say rug burn but there was no rug involved. And this is far more painful than any rug _I've_ ever encountered..."

Rangiku grinned.

"…You do realize that you look very creepy when you do that, right?"

* * *

This time, Shuuhei knocked and waited for an actual response before he went in. He wasn't sure if he wanted a repeat of last time. The partial nudity was fine; it was the awkwardness that was uncomfortable. After a muffled, "Come in," he entered. He blinked when he saw his lieutenant already fast asleep.

"I wore her out!" his drinking buddy announced proudly, giving him a thumbs-up.

"That was awfully quick." The captain shook his head. "Do I even want to know what was going on earlier?"

Rangiku shrugged and held out her hands as if to say, _I got nothing_.

"That's a lie and you know it," Shuuhei accused. He paused, thinking something over. "How are you holding up?"

She flexed an arm. "I'm doing great!"

He rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant."

Matsumoto's smile fell. "I know." She looked out the window to her right, watching the rain drench Soul Society. "I can't believe that it's almost _winter_ again. Time flies, doesn't it?" Shaking her head, she laughed humorlessly, "Even though my world ground to a halt five years ago, the rest of the world around me didn't. And eventually, I rejoined it without even noticing. Sometimes I have to stop and remind myself that it was all real and not just some horrible, reoccurring nightmare."

Sitting down on the floor in between the sleeping Kasumi and suddenly melancholic Rangiku, Shuuhei sighed heavily. "I'll go and visit that nameless grave again, soon. Captain Komamura will probably be there, too. Do you have any plans?"

She continued to stare out the window. "Kira and I will do our best to drink it away just like we've done the last few years. Who knows? Maybe this year it'll work."

"I'll be sure to join you," the captain promised.

Matsumoto smiled to herself. "Thanks. You're fairly reliable, aren't you?" she teased.

Shuuhei sighed again and leaned back on his hands. "Although I appreciate your rare, exalted, and much sought-after praise, I can't help but wish that a certain someone else had thought so, too."

That comment made her smile slip once more. "And I wish that a certain someone else had cared about being my friend more than he did. No matter how much we wish for it, time isn't going to reverse itself. We can't go back and talk them out of it. Their minds were made up long before we even joined the Academy." She hung her head a little. "Did we even mean anything at all to them?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. _'It's something that's been occurring to me more often, this year.'_ Blinking away a couple of tears, she wondered, _'Should I invite Hinamori?' _Biting her lip, she felt a rush of guilt. _'I forget about her a lot. The girl could probably use some fun…'_

Shuuhei glanced over at Kasumi instead of meeting his drinking buddy's gaze. His lieutenant seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but he thought he saw a sheen of sweat on her forehead. "I only left for a couple of hours. Just how asleep is she?"

Matsumoto shuddered and paled considerably. "You're lucky you didn't come back until now. Just a little while ago, she was screaming. She stopped just minutes before you knocked. I'm surprised you didn't hear it." The woman seemed haunted. "It was the same words, over and over again. ' _A-i-mu Soo-ri_,'" she tried to correctly pronounce the words as carefully as possible.

He cast a worried glance at her. "Are you sure she's alright?"

She shrugged. "Captain Unohana came in personally and checked on her. She didn't wake Kasumi up, but she did do something with her reiatsu and that calmed her down. She said not to worry, but…" Matsumoto trailed off, shaking her head at the very idea of not worrying. "I wonder what she's dreaming about. I heard a strange noise the first night Kasumi came here; now I think it was her screaming. The walls aren't exactly thin though, so I might be—hope—I'm wrong," she corrected herself.

"Did you ask the other neighbors?"

"The complex is fairly new, so there aren't many people living there yet. Kasumi and I are pretty much the only ones there at night." It was her turn to sigh. "It's only been three days since she got here. How come time goes so fast for the past five years, but suddenly slows down now? It doesn't make any sense at all." Sniffing, she rubbed her nose. "It's not fair," she said so quietly that Shuuhei barely heard it. "It's_ not fair."_

He decided to pretend that he hadn't heard that last part at all. Some things were better left untouched. "What day are you are Kira planning to have your drinks?"

"Ah!" She suddenly brightened, trying desperately to improve the mood. "Maybe next week. By the way…do you think we could force Kasumi to come along for those drinks? That might make it a little more fun!"

He snorted, recognizing her ploy and going along with it. "I can imagine how that will go all too easily. You forcing drinks down her throat while Kira starts stripping."

"If I recall correctly, you also started stripping that first year!" she pointed an accusing finger at him.

"It's impolite to point. Besides," he continued, once she had lowered the finger, "you nearly smothered yourself in your own breasts."

"…I don't remember that. Come to think of it, how did we get home that night?"

"I…also don't remember. Huh." Shuuhei was mildly surprised at that. He could distinctly recall Hitsugaya walking in and finding them in all their miserable glory, but after that all he drew was a blank.

"You guys are noisy," Kasumi muttered into her pillow, trying block out the voices with it.

"We're sorry," they apologized, rather loudly, surprised. How long had she been awake?

"LIES." She gave them a bleary glance, hair in complete disarray. "You're lucky I like both of you."

Rangiku pointed at Kasumi's hair and giggled. "How did your hair get so messy in just a couple of hours?" As the new lieutenant's hands automatically went to her head to check, Rangiku started laughing in earnest. It still sounded strained and hysterical to her, but Kasumi didn't seem to notice. "Must have been some dream you were having!"

Kasumi thought about it for a moment. "I think I dreamed something, but I don't remember what it was." She gave them a cheeky grin, "Sorry, no juicy details for you."

Shuuhei and Rangiku shared a look, one that Kasumi caught but confused her to no end. "Well, I brought you a present," Shuuhei told his new lieutenant.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he stood up. "I left it outside the door; I'll bring it in."

Rangiku forced a curious look onto her face. "Hey, Kasumi? I have a question."

"Ask away." The young woman stretched hugely, arms extended to their fullest. She wiggled a little, and something popped loudly in her back. "Ooh, that feels better now."

Her neighbor shook her head at Kasumi's little oddities. "What does '_A-i-mu Soo-ri' _mean?" she asked, tongue slipping over the syllables.

"I'm sorry?" Rangiku opened her mouth to ask again, thinking that Kasumi hadn't heard correctly when the shinigami interrupted her. "No, no…it means, 'I'm sorry.'" She gave her new friend a genuinely confused and curious stare. "Why do you ask?"

Rubbing a hand behind her head, Rangiku let off a somewhat nervous chuckle. "No real reason. I heard someone say it, and I thought you might know what it meant."

This seemed to satisfy her. "Okay." But she cast a suspicious glance in the other woman's direction before her attention was taken away by her Captain.

Watching Kasumi's face go from suspicious to utterly dismayed was a treat, in Rangiku's opinion.

"This is your…present…?" Kasumi choked out as the man set down the humongous stack of paperwork at the foot of her futon. "Paperwork?"

Shuuhei was trying very hard not to smile at the look on his lieutenant's face but was failing miserably. "Yeah. Since you're not injured too badly, you can do it now instead of falling behind on it," he explained. He held up a hand in defense, "Trust me, if you fall behind one day it takes forever to make it up."

"No it doesn't," Matsumoto countered, shaking a finger at him, and then at Kasumi. "Don't listen to him. He just wants to shove responsibility for the abominable thing onto you since he hasn't had a break in forever."

Frowning, Shuuhei crossed his arms. "And how _does_ it get done in Matsumoto World™?"

"It doesn't. You need to ask tougher questions."

Kasumi's eyes flicked back and forth between the two as they continued to bicker for a while. It was rather amusing.

"Right?" they both asked at the same time, turning to Kasumi for an answer.

She blinked, having lost track of the conversation quite a ways back. "Um…yes?" she answered hesitantly, not sure what it was she was agreeing to.

They nodded at each other firmly. "Then it's decided," Matsumoto declared. "Kasumi is going drinking with us."

'_When did they stop arguing and start plotting? I'm confused.' _Out loud, she eloquently inquired, "Drinking?" Apparently they hadn't heard her, for her question went unanswered and she remained as confused as before.

Shrugging it off, she reached forward as far as she could towards the paper tower. Feeling the skin stretch in an unpleasant manner across her back, she snagged the top sheet with some difficulty. Back in a comfortable sitting position, she peered at words.

Budget.

Oh hell.

This was going to be _fun_.

"I'm going to need a calculator," she announced, hoping to get the others' attention.

Shuuhei looked confused for a moment, and then he brightened when he realized what she meant. "Oh, sure." He searched in a pocket and pulled out a long ruler-like object.

Kasumi stared at it blankly while he held it out to her. "What is it?" she asked, looking from the strange contraption to her Captain's face.

Hisagi wasn't quite sure how to answer as the innocent expectant look she was giving him had thrown him off. "Um…you've never used one of these before? It's no surprise, as we only recently made the transition from abacus."

Light dawned in the lieutenant's eyes. "Oh. Is this, by any chance, a slide rule?"

He nodded as she gingerly took the calculating device from him.

She inspected it carefully. _'I think my grandparents used these.'_

Matsumoto laughed openly at her friend. She'd never seen anyone so interested in a slide rule before.

Kasumi glanced up. "Can someone teach me how to use this?"

* * *

…**Yeaaaah, I have no excuses…I recently saw a slide rule and had no idea what it was.**

**Slide rules were invented in the 1600's. Soul Society has some problems when it comes to modernizing itself.**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I have temporarily run out of witty. Check back later, the truck might have delivered more. I don't own Bleach.**

**Yeah, I know. REALLY late update. But college trumps fanfiction…**

**A.R.T.**

**Needtoknow: Yes, Kasumi drinking…be horrified. Personally, I would prefer 'sliced to death' rather than 'poked to death' as that sounds slightly more dignified.**

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Kasumi quickly came to the conclusion that slide rules were not only were they fairly easy to use, they were also pretty interesting. It was a novel thing to her, since she'd never used one before. It felt vaguely like a history lesson.

She also couldn't help wondering why Soul Society had staplers, but not pocket calculators. Deciding it was similar to Matsumoto and tanks; she stopped questioning it and paid attention to the reports in front of her.

There was a lot involved in running a Division. The vice-captain and captain were responsible for a lot of the planning going on, whether it was for training exercises, supplies usage, and scheduling in general.

Heaps of expense reports sat balefully on the low table Kasumi was working from. Across the room, Matsumoto was staring just as balefully at the reports, as if it would fly over and maul her and force her to work on them, too.

"I don't think that you're going to win that staring contest with the paper," Kasumi remarked, somewhat glad that her captain had left already. His presence would have made the work feel even more awkward, if that were possible. It was a strange feeling for her, for working together in the office hadn't made her feel this way.

Or maybe it was just because her neighbor was there. Yeah, that had to be it.

Rangiku didn't answer for a moment. Then she replied, "Well, I can't help but feel that its mere presence will summon my captain and my own paperwork."

Kasumi nodded sagely. "I see."

Her friend brightened. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"…Alright," Kasumi shot her Rangiku an amused look, one eyebrow raised.

"Um…" Seeing her neighbor at a loss for words made Kasumi even more curious. "How are you liking it here? I mean this branch of Soul Society. Not the infirmary."

She laughed at the word-fumbling. "Well, I haven't seen everything yet…" she teased good-naturedly, while Rangiku made a disgusted face. "But yes. I like it here a lot. This too," she gestured broadly at the room. "Even this," she added as an afterthought, giving the paperwork in front of her a contemplative look.

Matsumoto grinned evilly. "Wait until you see the open air bathhouse. It's called Spa-Land! The perfect place to wind down, especially after today!"

Eyes practically popping out of her head, Kasumi stared at the other lieutenant. "An open air bath? Really? That's awesome!"

The busty blonde nodded with gusto, almost bouncing from where she sat. "It's a lot of fun! You can get pampered, and drink tea, and swim, and…"

An idea occurred to Kasumi. "And your captain won't go looking for you in there, will he?" _'After all,'_ she thought, _'he looks like a kid, but I bet he would get embarrassed going in all the same.'_

Her friend pointed at her enthusiastically. "Right! One time I managed to convince him to come in to work on paperwork in the lounge, but the receptionist said that since he was a child, he would have to come in with me. I thought it was fine, since I was getting to go in anyway, but Captain Hitsugaya turned bright red! I'm not sure if he was angry or embarrassed! It was hilarious!" Rangiku slapped her knee while laughing hysterically at the memory. "Now he refuses to go near the place!"

Kasumi laughed along with her friend, able to imagine it.

"MATSUMOTO!" someone yelled from the doorway, making both girls jump. A few pieces of paper flew off the small table and out of Kasumi's reach.

Turning to look at the door, Kasumi quickly covered her mouth with her hand in order to stifle her laughter. The diminutive, white-haired captain stood there, glowering at his lieutenant, his face having gone entirely crimson. "How many times have I told you not to tell that story?"

Tears were forming at the corners of Kasumi's eyes, she was laughing so hard. Hitsugaya turned his glare onto her as well, but that only made her laugh harder. "I'm sorry…" she wheezed out between fits. "I'm…so…sorry…but I can't…stop…"

Hitsugaya made a strangled noise in response, and then hurriedly cleared his throat to cover the undignified sound. "In any case…what were you two thinking? I understand that you're friends, but do you really have to get bloodied together, too? And in this horrible weather?"

"Kasumi seems to enjoy the rain," Matsumoto stated proudly, as if it were prize evidence.

"Don't avoid the question!"

The woman tilted her head to one side. "But I did answer one of them!" she said innocently, batting her eyelashes in what she hoped was a convincing manner.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I know your schemes well, Matsumoto. That won't work on me."

She pouted, crossing her arms under her cleavage. This act only served to make them appear even closer to popping out of the hospital clothing (if that were possible—after all, those clothes aren't made to accommodate breasts like those). "You're no fun at all, Captain!"

"I do like rain," Kasumi interjected helpfully, having recovered from her laughing fit.

The white-haired boy looked ready to pull his hair out and scream. He took a deep breath to compose himself. Rubbing his temples wearily, he said, "I thought that since you were going to be uselessly held up in here—"

"Hey!"

"—you might as well work." He smirked a little at her dismayed expression. "_Especially_ since you can't escape," he added as an afterthought. Opening the door, he stepped aside as a couple of shinigami entered with huge stacks of papers. "In fact," he grinned evilly, "you should make up all the work you've put off for the past week."

_Holy…_ Datenshi muttered. _You wouldn't think it to look at him, but he's seriously sadistic!_

Kasumi nodded to herself. _'Yeah, I see what you mean. That's even more paperwork than what I have to do…'_

Rangiku's mouth dropped open and she stared at Kasumi. "You, too, Kasumi?" she asked mournfully, miming a stab to her heart. "How cruel…even my friend is against me…" she cried, wiping away imaginary tears.

A sweatdrop rolled down the back of Kasumi's head. "Um…well…actually…"

Her friend was clearly not listening, and gazing up at the ceiling morosely, saying things like, "Why me? So cruel… What did I do wrong?"

Holding her hand out uselessly, Kasumi could only stare in bewilderment. "Um…uh…" Giving up on reaching Matsumoto anytime soon, she shook her head at the woman's dramatics. Besides, she wasn't sure what she would say, even if the woman paid attention.

Glancing back at Hitsugaya, she covered up another laugh at the long-suffering look on his face. His expression flashed to horror-struck as his lieutenant started to flail and scatter the sheets of paper in all directions. Kasumi narrowed her eyes as an expression she couldn't identify briefly flit across his face, and disappeared into a look of supreme annoyance.

'…_What was that?'_ she wondered, as the captain started to yell at Rangiku.

_Hmm. Dunno, _Datenshi replied nonchalantly, clearly unconcerned.

Kasumi continued to watch the captain and his subordinate while he launched into a full-blown lecture on not wasting time and resources with hissy fits that got her nothing in the end. The young captain's face was an open book to anyone who cared enough to pay attention, and Kasumi was concerned by the earlier expression.

And then it appeared again, while Matsumoto was complaining about paper cuts and trying to persuade him that blood wouldn't be a good thing to get on the official reports.

But this time, Kasumi recognized it. _'Oh.'_ She covered up her mouth with a hand before the bickering officers noticed the smile growing there. _'He's relieved.'_

_Come again?_ Datenshi asked, confused. _I don't understand. Why would he be relieved?_

'_It's actually rather adorable. Shall I show you by embarrassing him?'_ Kasumi's eyes glinted mischievously. _'It should be fun.'_

Datenshi laughed loudly. _Are you sure? You almost sound like you're turning into me! Or maybe into your bouncy friend, over there!_

Removing her hand from her mouth, Kasumi put on her best smile and clapped her hands together loudly. Once she had the duo's attention, she remarked at brightly as she could, "It looks like he was really worried about you, Rangiku! That's really awesome!"

Rangiku stared at her for a moment, before looking at her captain's dumbstruck, brilliantly colored face. Her own face tinted a little pink, she remarked, "Really? Aww… That's so cute, Captain!"

…_You…EVIL…woman…_ Datenshi said in wondering admiration. _…I think…I love you…_

'_Let's not get carried away,'_ Kasumi replied. _'Now I really wanna see what happens next…'_

Hitsugaya glanced away from the two lieutenants, the only way he could hide without overtly running away. "That's…normal…isn't it?" he mumbled, unable to say the words with confidence.

Squealing, Rangiku grabbed the small captain and thrust his head down into her cleavage. She hugged him tightly, smiling the brightest, genuine smile Kasumi had ever seen, and resolutely ignoring his muffled screams for air.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, Kasumi called out encouragingly, "Try brute force, Captain Hitsugaya! That might work!"

* * *

As Shuuhei walked back to his Division, he pondered on what his drinking buddy had said earlier. It raised many unpleasant thoughts and memories he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with. For the past five years, he'd kept himself so busy running his Division that he didn't have to dwell on any of it.

But now that Kasumi was around to lighten the workload, he was going to have to come to terms with everything he'd previously avoided, whether he liked it or not. And he unhappily came to the conclusion that he'd done exactly as his predecessor did: he took on too many responsibilities and didn't delegate much of the work.

'_I'm a bit of a coward,'_ he thought, with a small sigh. Even though he knew running away wouldn't work, it was still the only action he was comfortable with in the situation. There was nowhere to run to, especially since what he was running from was only in his head. He knew that, no matter how much he tried, he would never escape himself.

Waving a hand in greeting to some passing shinigami, he allowed himself to feel a small amount of pride. The Soul Society had held up well during the Winter War, and was only doing better now that Aizen was truly gone. Shuuhei liked to think that all of the work he'd done had also been good for the people around him, and not just a means of escape from reality.

Decorations were being put up already in preparation for the upcoming party. The party that was held not only as a celebration of winter, but also as a kind of anniversary of the victory over the traitors. It was great for morale, and many relationships had actually been started thanks to it. All around, Shuuhei thought it was an excellent idea.

Except that it made _him_ even more depressed.

There was a little solace in the fact that he wasn't the only person suffering around this time of year: Hinamori, Kira, Matsumoto, and Komamura all shared the same affliction. But sometimes it was hard to be around even them. Sometimes they reminded him too much of the abandonment of his captain, his mentor, the person he had admired most.

He felt like smacking himself silly. Being gloomy was going to get him nowhere. _'What do I really want to do, then?'_ he asked himself, thinking hard. The answer came quickly, and it was very simple. _'I think I'd like to talk about Tousen with someone,'_ Shuuhei realized. _'But not just about the betrayal. I also want someone to know that he was a good person, once. And about how much I admired him, and all of the things he did for the Division…'_

With a start, Shuuhei discovered that he had been standing in front of his office door for a while. Walking in and sitting down at his desk, he stared across the space blankly. Then, he glanced over at the lieutenant's desk, expecting emptiness. He blinked for a moment in confusion when he saw the small stack of completed forms on it, but he remembered half-a-second later that he now shared the office space.

Then it hit him. _'Of course!' _he thought excitedly, standing up and walking over to the desk. _'I don't think Kasumi knows much about what happened during the Winter War! She was still alive back then, and in the American Branch! I am willing to bet that she's a good listener, and perhaps in the future, she might be open to listening to what I have to say about…'_

Shuuhei knew that it was a bit of a reach, as she'd only been around for three days, but it was worth a shot. Maybe not now, but later. It was something to hope for.

Flipping through the pages of completed forms, he frowned at one. There was a small doodle of a victory sign in one corner. Written next to it was: **Brute force! That's how paperwork should be dealt with!**

He smacked his face lightly with his hand. _'Uh oh. I don't think that'll come off…'_ He started chuckling quietly, but soon he broke out into full-blown laughter. Holding onto the edge of the desk for balance, he doubled over in mirth. He laughed until tears came from his eyes, and then he laughed some more.

Once he was in control of himself again, he wrote underneath it:

**As funny as I find this, I can't turn this report in now. Please redo it.**

**-Your Captain**

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**Huzzah! Finally finished a chapter!**

**I thought it would be good to put in more Shuuhei depth.**

**I'm so sorry for having it take this long…please review…**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, Bleach is awesome, and reviews are too! I don't own Bleach.**

**I am…so very, very, very sorry for this late chapter. I've just been extremely busy, lately. Plus, I'm trying to write an original story of my own in my (very little) free time. Sorry, again.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and special thanks to StuffedLion for giving me a bunch of encouragement along the way!**

**A.R.T.**

**Sakura: Thanks! I'll try to write more!**

**Michelle Mi-chan D: I'm glad that it made you laugh! Hopefully this chapter will, too!**

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Captain Hitsugaya did manage to escape the clutches of his lieutenant's breasts. Apparently, if he went completely slack Matsumoto would release him. Then she would shake him back and forth, asking if he was alright until his eyes rolled completely back into his head. And then she would squish him again. She did eventually figure out that she was the problem, but not until Hitsugaya was almost past the point of no return.

_Those things are like black holes,_ Datenshi observed. _Once you're in them, you aren't getting out again. And you definitely won't have any pride or self-respect left._

Kasumi ignored her zanpakuto and chose to just watch the scene unfold before her. It never occurred to her to help the captain, though. Not that she could have helped much, anyway. She remembered being trapped in that particular situation all too well.

Once the captain had regained consciousness, Rangiku started to happily tell him about the mission that she and Kasumi had completed. He patiently listened throughout the whole speech, not once interrupting her despite the tangents she sometimes went off on.

Kasumi decided that she liked listening to her friend tell stories. She always put emotion into what she was saying, and often gestured wildly for emphasis. Plus, the content was always interesting.

"Which brings me back to my main problem!" Rangiku finished, confusing both her captain and her neighbor. "How long is it going to keep raining, Captain?"

Hitsugaya twitched dangerously. "Why would I know?"

Matsumoto blinked innocently. "Wouldn't your zanpakuto tell you?"

Kasumi stared in admiration at the young captain. "Your zanpakuto can tell the weather? That's so cool!" She gestured at her own sword. "Datenshi, on the other hand, is useless."

_Hey! I can hear you!_

The captain twitched again, veins throbbing on his head. "Oh great—not you, too. You should know better than to listen to her by now." He turned on Matsumoto. "YOU! Hyorinmaru is _not_ a weather predictor!"

Kasumi felt a little disappointed by this. Although, she had to agree with him somewhat. Matsumoto didn't seem to take too many things seriously. Despite this and despite how little she actually knew about her neighbor, though, Kasumi believed that Matsumoto was a person who was always honest to herself and others. While she did feel this way, she wasn't going to say it out loud. Such thoughts had no true place in the current conversation. And it would probably feel a little awkward.

Matsumoto calmly countered her captain's hot glare with an equally calm, but suspicious, stare. "…Are you sure?"

"Very sure! Hyorinmaru can _affect_ the weather! _Not_ predict it!" When Matsumoto continued to stare at him dubiously, he gave up and sighed heavily, throwing up his arms in defeat. "I think I heard someone from Twelfth say something about it getting colder and the rain turning to snow."

A bright, happy smile appeared on his lieutenant's face and she clapped her hands together. "Ah! Then, if it snows hard enough, can I get a day off?"

The temperature in the room dropped significantly. Rubbing her arms and shivering, Kasumi pulled her comforter up higher so that it wrapped around her waist. "I wonder if I could make myself a cocoon with this thing…" she mused under her breath.

Matsumoto gave her captain an uneasy smile, her breaths making white puffs of air in the suddenly colder room. "I would prefer it if you didn't make it snow indoors, though, Captain. Especially since we're in a hospital, you know. Might be bad for…um…other people. Not just me. Sick, injured people. And I'm injured too, in case you forgot. Just so you know."

Hitsugaya's left eye had developed a tic that spelled certain disaster for Matsumoto were she to continue. Luckily for her, she decided to focus her attention on Kasumi instead of waiting for an answer from her captain.

"Hey, Kasumi! If it snows hard enough, we should make snowmen! And snow angels, and have a snowball fight! Then we'll go inside and drink something warm, and it'll be awesome! Or maybe we can go to Spa Land afterward to warm up! Wouldn't that be fun?"

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" Hitsugaya asked, one eyebrow raised. But he didn't get an answer.

"Sure," Kasumi readily agreed. Going along with it seemed like the easiest, least painful option. "That does sound like fun."

Immediately, Rangiku turned on her captain again. "Hey, if there isn't enough snow, can you use Hyorinmaru to make more?"

"Zanpakutos aren't meant to be used for such trivial things!"

'_You just admitted that you could do it,'_ Kasumi thought, amused. _'Bad move.'_

"Who cares?"

"MATSUMOTO!"

* * *

When the small captain left, Rangiku sighed heavily before dutifully beginning to pick up the papers that she'd tossed about earlier. Her face showed an expression that fell somewhere between serious contemplation and determination while she tried to figure out what order the papers had been in.

Deciding that she would rather stay warm, Kasumi didn't help at all and stayed under her comforter instead. '_I think those papers I lost earlier are in that mess somewhere. Well, it is her fault for scattering everything. She'll probably tell me when she finds them.' _She had noticed her friend's sudden change in demeanor upon Captain Hitsugaya's 'exit' (it was more like he'd fled the scene before he could be embarrassed further). She also had a contemplative look on her face, as if she were thinking very hard about something. Something that Kasumi was sure she wouldn't understand just yet.

Unsure of what to do around a serious Rangiku, Kasumi let the woman work out her paperwork mess while she concentrated on her own work. Putting aside the budget sheets for now—as those weren't due for a while—she flipped through the rest so that she would have an idea of what to expect.

'_Hmm…there's a lieutenants' meeting next week…decoration planning for the entire Division for the upcoming party…more training exercises to direct…what in the world…?' _She pulled out a packet of papers and looked at it more closely. _'…Why do I have to read and sign a form releasing Eleventh Division from all liability for anything that happens at Lieutenant Kusajishi's tea party?'_

Reading further down, Kasumi sweatdropped at all the clauses. _'Eleventh Division takes no responsibility for loss of life, limb, or honor resulting from the tea party. It also is not responsible for: escaped lizards, man-eating plants, cookies-of-any-origin, scalding tea, nuclear weapons, pointy sticks, any thefts, any cosplaying that may or may not occur (see confidentiality clause), broken doors, broken furniture, broken bones, broken floor tiles, destroyed property of any type, any abominations pink or otherwise, scooters electric or otherwise, explosions, gas leaks, fires, water damage, Captain Kuchiki's rage, earthquakes, monster rampages, eclipses, sudden loss of feeling in extremities, indigestion, suicide, murder, baldness…'_ The list only went on.

Flipping through the packet, Kasumi realized that there was essentially no point to reading it all. Glancing at the confidentiality clause (which had some interesting anecdotes of its own), Kasumi skipped to the end and signed it. _'They sure covered their bases. Just what goes on at these parties…? …And what should I expect…?'_

_Anything_, Datenshi replied. _Expect anything. And everything._

Setting aside the stack of paper off to the side, Kasumi mentally labeled the spot as the one for completed work. That already took care of a good amount of it, actually, since it was rather thick. Returning to the uncompleted piles, she looked through them again to see what was there. _'Okay, I remember these…I've got two missions to complete this week…choose three small teams for small missions…and lastly, supervision of an exercise with the Academy.'_

Looking up, Kasumi discovered that her friend had finished restacking the papers and was actually working honestly. Loathe to interrupt, Kasumi watched Rangiku hard at work for a moment before clearing her throat. When Rangiku looked up, Kasumi asked, "What is this thing here about supervising Academy students during a hollow-hunting lesson?"

"Oh!" Rangiku said brightly. "They are doing it a little late this year. Basically, the sixth-year students run an exercise for the first-year students where fake hollows are hunted using the skills they've learned so far. There are a total of six classes, so you will have to supervise the exercise six times in six days. It doesn't require much actual work, but it is time-consuming. All you have to do is make sure that real Hollows don't show up." She paused. "Or, rather, if they do show up, get rid of them and get the students to safety."

Then she winked at the new lieutenant. "By the way, should you get a chance you should ask your captain more about that exercise. When he was a sixth-year student running it, some things happened. It should prove an interesting story, too!"

Kasumi nodded. "Thanks, Rangiku. I'll do that."

Snickering to herself, Matsumoto went back to work. At some point, she had procured a small table like the one that Kasumi had. She already had a decent-sized pile of completed work, as well.

The American continued to watch her neighbor for a moment. _'That snicker was entirely too suspicious. What is she planning?'_

Flipping through some more papers, she commented, "You're working very diligently."

"Uh huh," Matsumoto answered, scribbling away.

Staring in concern, Kasumi asked, "Are you sure you should be doing all of that paperwork right now? I think you were injured more than I was. You also carried your squad member all the way here by yourself."

Shrugging, the normally boisterous woman put her brush down. "It keeps my mind off of things. There's nothing much else to do in the room at the moment, anyway. But you do make a good point. Maybe I'll take a nap, instead." She stretched her arms above her head and set her table and paperwork stacks against the wall. "Wake me up when someone brings us food."

"Sure," Kasumi agreed.

Matsumoto must have been more exhausted than she seemed, for she fell asleep almost instantly.

Frowning, Kasumi regarded the sleeping woman. "I wonder if something is bothering her," she wondered aloud. "Captain Hisagi _is_ her drinking buddy, maybe he'll know. It's just another thing to ask him about, I suppose."

Feeling content with that answer, she got to work on the large amount of paperwork still waiting to be done.

* * *

Kasumi had nearly completed all of her work by the time food was brought by Hanatarou. There was a rather gruel-like substance in bowls on the platter with some steaming barley tea. However, what caught her attention was the plate of apples next to the tea.

"Are those…" she pointed at the apples, blinking rapidly and fixing them with a rapt expression. "Are those apples…bunny shaped?"

Hanatarou nodded, setting the platter with the food in between Kasumi and that still slumbering Matsumoto. "Yeah, most of the female shinigami love them, so we've started to include them with the patient meals. Actually, they've been the most popular amongst members of Eleventh Division, strangely enough."

"How do you make them?" Kasumi asked, enchanted with the apples. _'They're…so…cute,'_ she thought happily. _'I've never seen these before…'_

"Um…" Hanatarou stuttered, slightly amazed at how interested Kasumi was in the treat. "You cut an apple into eight wedges, and remove the core. Then you make a shallow V-shaped incision with a knife into the skin, going about halfway down the apple. Lastly, you cut shallowly just under the apple peel until you reach the base of the V," he explained, holding one of the apples and tracing the movements required with a fingertip. "You can also make the ears curl upward by soaking them for a short while in ice water."

Kasumi looked extremely happy at how simple it was to make them. "Thanks. I think I'll try to make them when I get back home." With a small start, she realized that her apartment had indeed already become 'home' to her. Which only made her happier.

Hanatarou smiled back at her. "No problem. You two enjoy your meal!" With that, he left the lieutenants.

"Smells good," Matsumoto suddenly said, having woken up about halfway into the apple rabbit explanation. "I like porridge. Although," she added, giving it a contemplative look, "it is sort of bland."

Grabbing her bowl and scooping some of the hot food into her mouth, Kasumi thought about the taste. "I like it as it is. What do you normally add to it?"

Her neighbor brightened up quite a bit, pleased that someone was interested in her rather unique take upon cooking. "Oh, I like adding red bean paste, and chocolate sauce, and strawberries, and sausages…"

'_The only normal thing in there is strawberries,' _Kasumi thought, quietly listening to her friend wax poetic on the relative deliciousness of certain ingredients over others.

* * *

**A somewhat shorter chapter than normal, but that felt like a good place to end. Kasumi forgot about the papers, didn't she? Uh oh.**

**Reviews? …Please…?**


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